British prime minister Gordon Brown is the voters' favourite to lead the nation during the country's economic crisis but his party continues to trail the opposition Conservatives, a poll for Channel 4 News showed today.
The YouGov survey found 34 per cent of those asked agreed that Mr Brown was the better premier for an economic downturn, compared with 28 per cent backing Conservative leader David Cameron.
However, only 36 per cent said they would vote for Mr Brown's Labour government if an election were held now, compared with 43 per cent supporting the Conservatives and 13 per cent plumping for the Liberal Democrats.
That would be enough to reverse Labour's 63 seat working majority in parliament and put the Conservatives into government after more than a decade out of power.
The poll questioned 2,000 voters between January 30th and February 3 in 60 marginal constituencies the Conservatives must win to return to office.
Recent polls have shown the Conservatives regaining their lead over Labour after the gap between the two narrowed late last year as voters supported Mr Brown's handling of the banking crisis.
Mr Brown does not have to call a national election until June 2010.
Reuters