Blair's Labour support sinks

A YouGov poll found Tory support now stands at 37 per cent, an increase of one point since the end of May. Labour support has fallen two points to 35 per cent.

The Liberal Democrats, the smaller opposition party, have edged up to 21 per cent. Apart from a temporary "blip" in September 2000, Labour, which came to power in 1997, has led the Conservatives in the polls since the autumn of 1992.

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The Conservatives have nudged ahead after a series of surveys have shown the gap narrowing since Blair became embroiled in a row over the failure to find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, according to the right-wing Telegraph.

The premier has faced weeks of accusations that his office embellished intelligence to beef up the case for war against Saddam Hussein.

Blair's reputation for honesty and competence has been further undermined by a school funding crisis, a widely criticised reshuffle of his senior ministers, indecision over the single European currency and disarray over whether taxes should rise for the better off, the Telegraph said.

Only 25 per cent of voters think the government has proved, on balance, honest and trustworthy, while 66 per cent think it has not. Blair's own ratings have also plummeted, with 63 per cent believing he has not been honest and trustworthy, the poll found.

YouGov interviwed 2,288 voters online.