Poll puts Tories seven points clear of Labour

Gordon Brown faces a fresh blow to his authority today as a shock new poll reveals that public support for the Conservatives has surged to its highest level for 15 years.

An ICM survey for The Sunday Telegraph puts the Tories on 43 per cent, seven points clear of Labour on 36 per cent, with the Liberal Democrats trailing on 14 per cent. The figures represent a dramatic turnaround from a similar poll taken just over a week ago, which put the two main parties neck and neck on 38 per cent.

If the findings were repeated in a general election, Tory leader David Cameron would be emerge as Prime Minister with a single-figure Commons majority, while Sir Menzies Campbell's Lib Dems would be reduced to a rump of MPs.

The poll confirms an extraordinary turnaround for Mr Cameron and his party, who just two weeks ago were looking moribund, with Labour nine points ahead in the polls.

Mr Cameron attempted to drive home his new advantage last night, stepping up the pressure on Mr Brown to hold a referendum on the EU treaty, arguing that he has broken voters' trust by refusing to put the issue to the nation.

Mr Brown flies to Lisbon on Thursday to thrash out the final wording of the proposed treaty with the heads of government from 26 fellow EU nations.