Mail poll gives Conservatives a 4-point lead

... as Cameron warns of £3k Labour tax bombshell that will hit families

The Conservatives are at their strongest for more than three years, according to a poll that shows even one in five Labour voters would prefer David Cameron as prime minister over ed Miliband.

Mr Cameron will today warn that a Labour government would cost every working family in Britain more than £3,000 in higher taxes.

he will inform the Queen that the long phoney war is over and the general election campaign is finally under way as Parliament is dissolved.

Speaking at Number Ten after an audience at Buckingham Palace, Mr Cameron will today tell voters they face a ‘stark choice’ in 38 days.

A Labour government would mean ‘economic chaos’ and ‘out

‘Choose economy that grows’

of control spending’ and higher taxes totalling £3,028 for every working household, he will say.

In a separate pledge, the Conservative Party promised to find an extra £8billion a year for the NhS if it wins the election.

Tory jitters will be eased by the ComRes poll for the Daily Mail and ITV News, which suggests the party has opened up a four-point lead. The poll puts the Conservatives up one point on last week with 36 per cent – their biggest lead since September 2010 and their highest level of support since February 2012.

Labour is on 32 per cent, down three points. Ukip is on 12 per cent, well down on last year’s peak of 19, with the Lib Dems showing signs of modest recovery, on nine.

The poll is the mirror image of a YouGov survey for the Sunday Times, which put Labour on 36 per cent and the Tories on 32. An Opinium poll, meanwhile, yesterday put the Tories ahead, on 34 per cent to Labour’s 33. The ComRes survey also revealed:

Almost one in five Labour voters (18 percent) think Mr Cameron would make a better Prime Minister than ed Miliband but just 1 per cent of Tory backers think the same way about the Opposition leader,

Mr Cameron is more likely to be associated with being ‘arrogant’ by 52 per cent of voters but also with being ‘strong’ by 60 per cent,

If offered a coalition, 45 per cent of the public would prefer a Tory/Lib Dem deal compared with 33 per cent who back a Labour/ SNP alliance.

Mr Cameron, will today seek to crystallise the choice at the election, saying: ‘ You can choose an economy that grows, that creates jobs, that generates the money to ensure a properly funded and improving NhS, and a Government that will cut taxes f or 30million hard-working people.

‘Or you can choose the economic chaos of ed Miliband’s Britain – over £3,000 in higher taxes for every working family to pay for out of control spending.’

Yesterday Mr Cameron indicated he will extend the new married couples’ allowance if the Conservatives win in May. The modest tax break will be worth up to £212 to more than four million couples.

Mr Cameron said: ‘I think it’s absolutely right that we recognise marriage in the tax system properly and I would like to see that expanded.’