Conservatives get a lead over Labour, still short of majority: Polls

London, Mar. 7 (ANI): Conservative leader David Cameron has managed to get a lead over Labour, but he still looks short of an overall majority at the General Election, according to a new opinion poll.

An ICM poll for the News of the World shows the Tories have widened their lead over Labour to nine points.

It is the first time the Tories have attracted 40 per cent of voters for a fortnight.

According to the poll, the Tories would win 320 seats on election day, far ahead of Labour on 260 and the Lib Dems and other parties on 80.

But, with other factors taken into account, that would still leave Cameron six seats short of an overall majority of Tory MPs.

The poll also found that 35 per cent of the public think a hung parliament, with no party having overall control, is the most likely outcome of the election.

However, one aspect of the survey could be devastating for the Tories.

In October, ICM asked which party had the right policies in key areas and the Tories were way ahead - but today that lead has collapsed.

They now have a lead on just five issues and Labour is ahead on four - but there is not much between them on most topics. On the critical question of who would best cut crime, the Tories were 21 per cent ahead but now lead by just nine.

On dealing with the recession they were 15 points ahead but Labour now only trails by two.

And voters now think Labour has the best policies to tackle the environment, terrorism, set taxes and win the Afghan war.

The Tories have only increased their leads on immigration and modernising the NHS. (ANI)