Poll sees Tories soar to 4% lead

SUPPORT for the Tories rose a staggering six points over the last month, an opinion poll suggested last night.

The ICM survey forecast a 36 per cent share for David Cameron’s party at the general election on May 7.

It was the strongest backing for the Tories since May 2012 – just one point below their 2010 vote share.

Labour was down one point to 32 per cent in the survey of around 1,000 voters.

It will increase optimism at Conservative HQ by suggesting support is steadily moving in the party’s direction with fewer than 80 days to the election.

Backfired

It also suggests that Ed Miliband’s decision to campaign on the issue of tax avoidance and smear the Tories as friends of the rich may have backfired.

Support for the Lib Dems was down a point to 10 per cent, Ukip fell two points to nine per cent and the Greens were also down two points to seven per cent.

A similar vote distribution at the election would leave the Conservatives as the largest party but short of an overall majority.

Martin Boon, of ICM Unlimited, said: “Some voters who flirted with upstart parties may be returning to established political tribes, the Tories in particular. The Ukip preoccupations, immigration and Europe, could be slipping away.”