David Cameron is having a bad recession

Ten-point poll slip for Tories

Ten-point poll slip for Tories

The Conservatives have suffered a ten-point slip in the polls from 15 per cent to just five per cent, according to the latest Guardian/ICM poll.

The Tories were down seven points and Labour up three per cent in further evidence of the governing party’s improved standing with voters.

The Liberal Democrats advanced one percentage point to 19 per cent, while others saw a two-point bump to ten per cent.

ICM interviewed 1,003 adults for its latest poll between December 12th and 14th.

It found remarkably similar results to December 2006 and December 2007, when the Tory lead was eight and five per cent respectively.

While the Conservatives continue to do well on the environment, Gordon Brown is seen as a stronger leader when the going gets tough.

The prime minister has also recovered his lead in the honesty stakes, which had been damaged by his links with the Brownite leadership coup of 2006.

Now 26 per cent view him as the most honest leader compared to 21 per cent for Tory leader David Cameron. But Mr Cameron has a four-point lead when it comes to who is viewed as having the most potential as prime minister.