Labour’s natural supporters are returning to the fold, giving the party a nine-point lead over the Conservatives as the most trusted to deal with the recession, a poll for The Times reveals.

Gordon Brown and Alistair Darling are favoured over David Cameron and George Osborne by 40 per cent to 31 per cent — a six-point jump in their lead since the Pre-Budget Report was presented on November 24.

The boost has improved Labour’s position generally, with the overall Conservative poll lead narrowing to four points and the number of Labour voters who are considering switching to the Tories dropping markedly.

The poll puts the Conservatives on 39 per cent, down two percentage points; Labour on 35 per cent, unchanged from November; and the Liberal Democrats on 17 per cent, up one point. It is the narrowest Tory lead in a Populus poll since March.

The proportion of people who voted Labour in 2005 saying that they would shift to the Conservatives in an election has fallen from 19 per cent in September to 9 per cent now. The number satisfied with the Government overall has risen to its highest level since January 2006, and the likelihood of Labour supporters to vote has risen to its highest this year.

The survey, taken between Friday and Sunday, suggests that as the downturn deepens Labour’s standing has improved. It contains some worrying pointers for Mr Cameron. This is the first Populus poll since April to put the Conservative share at less than 40 per cent, and one of only four polls out of the last 75 to put them at that figure.

Mr Brown’s lead over Mr Cameron as the better leader to tackle recession “right now” has increased by one point to seven points since a special poll in late November. Mr Cameron’s lead as the better candidate to lead Britain forward after the next election has fallen by six points since late November, from eight points to two.

Mr Brown has still suffered a heavy drop in support since early November, when his lead over Mr Cameron as the better leader for the present time was 20 points.

The poll will come as a relief to Mr Brown as he and President Sarkozy of France prepare to urge an EU summit this week to back a ¤200 billion (£170 billion) recovery plan.

Yesterday the pair met José Manuel Barroso, the President of the European Commission, in London and spoke of the need for unprecedented levels of European co-operation. The three men dismissed suggestions that they snubbed Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, who has been lukewarm about the proposal and was not at the meeting. They had spoken with her by telephone over the weekend and Mr Barroso said that it would be “unthinkable” to devise a European economic plan without Germany.

Fears that the recession will be deeper and longer as consumers desert the high street will be fuelled today by new figures suggesting that retail sales are tumbling. Spending on the high street fell last month by 0.4 per cent compared with November 2007, said the British Retail Consortium.

The consultancy Verdict will cautiontoday that a 4 per cent slump in consumer spending next year would mean retailers suffering their worst fortunes for more than four decades.

Figures from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors will indicate that house prices continued to fall last month, albeit at a slightly slower rate.

The value of the pound fell to ¤1.1444 yesterday, its lowest level yet.

Polls and internal focus groups conducted since the Pre-Budget Report have suggested that voters have big doubts over whether the measures taken to stimulate the economy will work, in particular the 2.5 per cent cut in VAT, but the Populus survey appears to suggest that Labour is benefiting from the perception that it is trying to mitigate the impact of recession.

The overall picture has been mixed. Two polls have given the Conservatives double-digit leads, but on average Labour has gained. Today’s poll also suggests that Labour has not been damaged by the Damian Green affair.

People were asked whom they most trusted to deal with Britain’s economic problems in the months and years ahead. In last month’s poll 36 per cent chose the Labour team and 33 per cent the Conservative. In a special Populus survey just after the PBR, the gap remained at three points.

Populus interviewed a random sample 1,505 adults across the country aged 18-plus by telephone on December 5-7. The results have been weighted to be representative of all adults. Populus is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules. For more details go to www.populus.co.uk

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