LONDON, Feb 7 (Reuters) - Support for Britain's ruling Labour Party has fallen to 28 percent, an opinion poll showed on Saturday, down 4 points compared with the last survey two weeks ago.
The popularity of the opposition Conservatives also declined, by 4 percentage points to 40 percent, according to the poll carried out by ICM and posted on the website of The Sunday Telegraph newspaper.
The third-placed Liberal Democrats were the main gainers, up 6 points to 22 percent.
The poll also showed growing concern among voters about the performance of finance minister Alistair Darling, with 51 percent saying he should be sacked while 43 percent wanted him to stay in the job.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown must call a national election by June 2010, and the Sunday Telegraph said the poll results effectively ruled out an early election in 2009.
Labour initially succeeded in cutting the Conservatives' poll lead when Brown and Darling announced a bank rescue package in October. The Conservative lead has since widened as doubts have grown about the cost of the government's economic stimulus measures.
(Reporting by David Milliken; editing by Andrew Dobbie)
((Reuters Messaging: david.milliken.reuters.com@reuters.net; david.milliken@reuters.com; +44 20 7542 5109)
Keywords: BRITAIN POLL/
COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2009. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.
The popularity of the opposition Conservatives also declined, by 4 percentage points to 40 percent, according to the poll carried out by ICM and posted on the website of The Sunday Telegraph newspaper.
The third-placed Liberal Democrats were the main gainers, up 6 points to 22 percent.
The poll also showed growing concern among voters about the performance of finance minister Alistair Darling, with 51 percent saying he should be sacked while 43 percent wanted him to stay in the job.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown must call a national election by June 2010, and the Sunday Telegraph said the poll results effectively ruled out an early election in 2009.
Labour initially succeeded in cutting the Conservatives' poll lead when Brown and Darling announced a bank rescue package in October. The Conservative lead has since widened as doubts have grown about the cost of the government's economic stimulus measures.
(Reporting by David Milliken; editing by Andrew Dobbie)
((Reuters Messaging: david.milliken.reuters.com@reuters.net; david.milliken@reuters.com; +44 20 7542 5109)
Keywords: BRITAIN POLL/
COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2009. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.