Election 2017: Conservatives' lead over Labour cut to 14 points, according to ICM poll

Survey 'indicates resurgent, if still rather distant Labour Party', says pollster

Earlier on Monday, Theresa May performed U-turn on a controversial pre-election proposal when she said there would be a cap on the amount of money elderly people would need to spend on social care (Oli Scarff/PA Wire/PA Images)

Theresa May's Conservative Party has seen its lead over Labour narrow to 14 points from 20 points a week ago, according to polling company ICM.

Support for the Tories fell by one point to 47 per cent, while Labour increased five points to 33 per cent, the survey showed.

“After the delivery of the party manifestos, polling over the weekend has indicated a resurgent, if still rather distant Labour Party,” ICM director Martin Boon said.

In the Conservative manifesto the party said a strong economy and delivering Brexit were top priorities, while Labour Party focussed on higher spending on the NHS, social care and the abolition of tuition fees.

Two opinion polls published in recent days – after the political parties published their manifestos of election pledges – showed the Conservatives' lead over Labour halving to nine points.

Surveys by ICM have suggested voters are increasingly turning from the smaller parties to the two main ones. Support for the Liberal Democrats fell one point to 9 percent, while the UK Independence Party fell two points to 4 percent, ICM said.

Although the Tories maintain a commanding lead and have improved their vote-share in opinion polls, in the weeks since the snap election was called, support for Labour has grown at a faster rate.

Earlier on Monday, Ms May performed U-turn on a controversial election proposal when she said there would be a cap on the amount of money elderly people would need to spend on social care.

Ms May refused to be drawn on what she intended the cap to be.

Additional reporting by Reuters