Labour support slumps to lowest ever

Support for Labour has slumped to its lowest level since polling began, according to a survey for the Telegraph newspaper.

Gordon Brown's personal rating among voters is now the same as John Major's at his lowest point and worse than Michael Foot.

In the first poll since last week's Crewe and Nantwich by-election, the YouGov survey puts Labour on 23 points. In the last month Labour has fallen three points, despite handing out a tax cut to 22 million people in a bid to calm public anger over the abolition of the 10p tax band.

It is the lowest level of support for Labour since pollsters Gallup first asked people to declare their voting intention in 1943, a few months before the Battle of El Alamein.

Mr Brown's troubles have led to speculation that he could be unseated as Labour leader before the next election. A third of voters asked in the YouGov survey said that Labour would have a better chance of winning that election with a new leader - a figure that rises to 40 per cent amngst Labour supporters.

SNP MP Angus Robertson said: “It is clear we are moving into a period where the balances of power can be fundamentally changed."

Mr Roberston wants to see a block of at least 20 SNP MPs at Westminster, ready willing and able to defend the Scottish interest.

"As Alex Salmond says, we can make Westminster dance to a Scottish jig.”