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Gordon Brown has suffered a devastating blow with a new opinion poll showing Labour’s support in a general election falling behind the Liberal Democrats for the first time in 22 years.

The ICM poll for The Sunday Telegraph is the worst possible news for the Prime Minister as he enters his most important week since taking power with Labour expecting a hammering in Thursday’s local and European elections.

The results, which show Labour has suffered particularly badly from the MPs’ expenses scandal in voters’ eyes, are certain to ratchet up speculation that Mr Brown will face a leadership challenge in the next few weeks.

Asked who they would support in a general election, only 22 per cent of voters back Labour, with the party slumping behind both the Conservatives on 40 per cent and, crucially for Mr Brown’s future, the Liberal Democrats who are on 25 per cent.

The last time Labour was in third place in any poll in a “general election” question was in 1987 – when the party was reeling from defeat in a by-election held in Greenwich and hard-left local councils were tarnishing its reputation across the country.

The results when voters were asked who they would support in Thursday’s elections to the European parliament are no better for Mr Brown.

Labour again comes third with just 17 per cent, down from the 22.5 per cent the party achieved in what was judged a poor performance in the last set of such elections, in 2004.

The Conservatives lead in today’s poll with 29 per cent, while the Lib Dems are on 20 per cent.

~ UK Telegraph

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