Marcus Wood

Tory poll lead growing rapidly

A series of polls have given all of us Tories a huge boost to already very high morale in the party.

On Sunday there was a Yougov poll in the Sunday Times that showed us at our best level of support against Labour since the days of Micheal Foot in 1983; with a 16% lead over Labour. ICM in the News of the World followed with a poll that showed our support up 6% on a month earlier and now the March ICM poll for the Guardian, which has just been published, gives the following shares - CON 42% (+2): LAB 29% (-2): LD 21% (+1).

If these figures are reproduced at the next General Election the Tories will win with a 60 seat majority.

All pollsters warn that one poll is not enough to reveal a change in sentiment but equally all agree that several that say the same do.

So it is clear that far from putting a stop to the rot of Gordon Browns Government the budget has made the Labour Party as unpopular today as it was in 1983 when their radical anti nuclear pro-nationalisation election manifesto was described by a shadow cabinet minister as "the longest suicide note in history".

And the Lib Dems must be relieved that their support seems to be holding firm against Labour, too. After a rocky patch leading up to Nick Cleggs election Lib Dem support sagged below the psychologically important 16% level but in these three polls they have bounced back to near their 2005 election total.