Gordon Brown suffers a triple blow today in his attempt to relaunch his premiership as a Times poll reveals a big slide in his leadership ratings and a new report attacks the way that Labour has handled medical training.

The day after Mr Brown made health the centrepiece of his new year fightback, an influential report seen by The Times will propose that responsibility for doctor training should be taken from the Department of Health and handed to a new body.

Furthermore, Mr Brown today faces more unwelcome headlines over sleaze after reports that Peter Hain, the Work and Pensions Secretary, failed to declare large donations towards his deputy leadership bid. According to the reports, the Electoral Commission is to investigate the failure by Mr Hain to give an accurate report of his expenditure and he could face a fine.

At the same time a Populus poll for The Times, the first of the year, shows that David Cameron has overtaken Mr Brown on the issue of the leadership qualities required to be Prime Minister. Six months ago, just after entering No 10, Mr Brown was ahead of Mr Cameron by 56 to 32 per cent on this measure. Now, the Conservative leader is ahead by 44 to 40 per cent.

There have been similarly large shifts against Mr Brown on other leadership issues, cutting his large lead on the question of being strong from thirty-two to six points, while Mr Cameron has moved farther into the lead with regard to their relative charisma and likeability.

Mr Brown’s leader index has also dropped sharply since June, to well below Mr Cameron’s, and to a depth only once breached by Tony Blair.

The findings came as Mr Brown appointed Stephen Carter, the former media industry regulator, to head his political and strategic team, announced an initiative to provide screening for heart disease, stroke and diabetes, prepared to give the go-ahead to a new generation of nuclear power stations, and toured broadcasting studios in an effort to show that he was back on track after pre-Christmas troubles.

That impression will be undermined today when the report by Sir John Tooke will say that the running of doctors’ training must be taken out of the hands of the Department of Health. The report, ordered last year after thousands of highly qualified junior doctors were left without training posts, recommends an end to government control of postgraduate medical training. It also recommends the introduction of a new body, NHS Medical Education England, that will manage “ring-fenced” funds needed to train the next generation of specialists.

Mr Brown has reacted to last year’s welter of political problems by putting Mr Carter, 43, the former Ofcom chief, in charge of his political strategy, communications and the policy unit in No 10. Born and educated in Scotland, Mr Carter has impressed Mr Brown on several occasions and now suddenly becomes one of the most powerful figures in the country, attending Cabinet meetings and reporting directly to the Prime Minister.

Mr Brown has been criticised for relying too much on a small group of young advisers and ministers. Mr Carter will be expected to provide him with the long-term strategic planning that he believes can help him to recover to win the next election.

The Conservatives dismissed Mr Carter as “a spin-doctor”. Caroline Spelman, the party chairman, said: “When he took office, Gordon Brown promised that spin would be consigned to the dustbin. Yet, on dozens of occasions since he became Prime Minister, his announcements have unravelled as the small print has shown the truth to be very different.

“Gordon Brown has provided no fresh start and no big vision. He should be hiring staff to deliver on his promises, not another chief spin-doctor to put more gloss on the failings of his Government.”

The poll, undertaken over the weekend, shows that the election of Nick Clegg as Liberal Democrat leader has given his party a three-point boost to 19 per cent, all at the expense of the Tories, down to 37 per cent. Labour has remained almost unchanged, up a point at 33 per cent. The main parties are back to where they were a year ago, before Mr Brown enjoyed a honeymoon with voters and the press.

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