David Cameron accused Gordon Brown of having no coherent vision for the country today after Labour’s mauling in the local elections last week.

In rowdy Commons exchanges at Prime Minister's Questions, Mr Cameron said that the Government was “lurching from one relaunch to another”. He said: “What’s missing is what is really needed - that is a clear vision and some strong leadership for Britain.”

Mr Brown said the choice was between a Government that had created jobs, stability and growth and a Conservative Party that had “nothing to offer the people of this country”. He warned that no amount of “slick salesmanship” from the Opposition leader could obscure the “fact” that there was nothing of substance in Tory policy.

The loud trading of insults follow the publication of a poll for The Times showing that more than a half of Labour supporters believe that Gordon Brown should stand down to make way for a more electable alternative.

Today’s Populus poll — the first survey since last Thursday’s local elections when Labour lost the London mayoral contest and 331 council seats in England and Wales — shows a dramatic collapse of confidence in Mr Brown’s leadership.

The Prime Minister’s personal rating has also dropped sharply, along with that for Labour. He now trails David Cameron and Nick Clegg in the leadership stakes.

Support for Labour has fallen by four points in a month to 29 per cent. The Tories have gained one point to 40 per cent; their lead of 11 points is the largest in the five years of Populus polls. The Liberal Democrats are two points up at 19 per cent, with other parties one point ahead at 12 per cent.

The fallout from last week’s election dominated exchanges at PMQs. Boris Johnson, London’s new Tory Mayor, arrived to loud cheers from the Conservatives benches, which erupted again as Mr Brown arrived to take his place.

Shailesh Vara, Tory MP for Cambridgeshire North West, was first into the attack, demanding: “As you are the only person in the House with experience of unseating a sitting Prime Minister, what is your own estimate as to how long you’ve got?”

Mr Brown retorted: “Once again the big policy questions of substance. I’ll tell you what this Government has done under two prime ministers - we’ve created the highest employment in history, cut child poverty and pensioner poverty, doubled investment in health and social services and got the best educational results in our history.

“None of that would have happened under a Conservative government.”

Mr Brown welcomed Mr Johnson to the House, telling him: “I hope you will continue the record of your predecessor in social housing and creating affordable housing.”

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