Labour Party rating falls as in-fighting continues

London, May 9 (UNI) The Labour Party poll rating has fallen to its lowest level amid the turmoil at the top of the party and the bad local election results.

The poll conducted by The Times gives Prime Minister Tony Blair and Gordon Brown the starkest warning of the cost of their feuding.

The Populus survey also shows David Cameron's Conservatives moving into an eight-point lead.

The shocking results of the Times poll is expected to be a chilling warning to the warring factions of the perils of more infighting. It came as Mr Blair tried to head off growing calls from his MPs to reach an agreement with Mr Brown over a handover of power.

Pressed by the MPs at a private Parliamentary Labour Party meeting to spell out his plans for the transition, Mr Blair promised to allow his successor "ample" time to take his place and prepare for the next general elections. It was a significant shift and many MPs later said it meant that Mr Blair would almost certainly go next year. But, the poll shows that Mr Cameron's rating is higher than Mr Blair for the first time but the Tory leader has a much larger lead over Gordon Brown when people consider the next election. Cameron is 10 points ahead of Brown.

Support for the Labour Party has dropped since early April by six points to 30 per cent, equal to the lowest in any poll since 1992.

By contrast, the Tories are up four points at 38 per cent, opening up the widest gap between the parties in 14 years. The Liberal Democrats are down one point at 20 per cent.

Support for Mr Blair to remain Prime Minister beyond the end of this year has fallen from 42 per cent to 31 per cent in a month, with half the public wanting him to step down by December this year.

More than 50per cent people think that the "government's biggest problem was now Tony Blair himself".

The Cabinet reshuffle is dismissed by nearly three quarters as an attempt to deflect attention from the government's problems, while nearly two thirds believe that the way things are going, the Labour Party will lose the next general election.

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