A third of Labour voters think Theresa May would make a better Prime Minister than Jeremy Corbyn

The poll results come amid escalating tensions in Labour over Mr Corbyn's continued leadership

Angela Eagle and Owen Smith are launching rival bids for Labour leadership (Ian Forsyth/Getty Images)

One in three Labour voters think Theresa May would be a better Prime Minister than Jeremy Corbyn, a ComRes poll for The Independent has found.

It also revealed that the new Prime Minister out-polls the Labour leader among every age group for support.

The news comes amid unprecedented pressure on Mr Corbyn's continued leadership and escalating tensions in the Labour party. Angela Eagle has launched her bid to replace him as party leader, and Owen Smith has also stated he plans to stand and is due to officially launch a rival bid imminently.

The poll asked members of the public whether they think Ms May or Mr Corbyn would make a better Prime Minister. Of people who identified as Labour voters, 31 per cent said they thought Ms May would be better. 23 per cent of Labour voters said they didn't know who would be better and 46 per cent said they thought Mr Corbyn would be the best person for the job.

It has also been revealed that contrary to some claims that Mr Corbyn is supported by a so-called 'youth vote', more people think Ms May would be a better Prime Minister in every age category, including younger age groups.

Among people aged 18-24, 43 per cent back Ms May as Prime Minister, compared to just 37 per cent who back Mr Corbyn. For those aged 25-34, support for Ms May is at 42 per cent, while Mr Corbyn has just 31 per cent support.

Three quarters of MPs backed a recent no confidence vote against Mr Corbyn, with many citing concerns that his performance in the EU referendum campaign had been uninspiring and inadequate, as well as ongoing concerns that his left-wing principles could alienate the wider electorate and render the party unelectable.

The formal period for Labour MPs to declare their support for a leadership candidate begins tomorrow.