The Conservatives have moved ahead of Labour as the best party to improve the NHS, dealing a blow to Gordon Brown’s hopes of portraying the Government as defenders of public services against Opposition cuts.

A new Populus poll for The Times, undertaken before the start of the party conference season, shows that the Tories have a clear lead on almost all the key policies and on the main measures of party image. There is some hope for Nick Clegg and the Liberal Democrats as their ratings have improved across the board since last year.

David Cameron has shrugged off the Labour criticism that he is a lightweight. Just 39 per cent of voters see him as lightweight and 56 per cent as substantial. By contrast, 59 per cent regard Mr Brown as lightweight and 38 per cent as substantial.

Mr Cameron also wins the decisive/dithering question, by 69 to 27 per cent. By contrast, 67 per cent see Mr Brown as dithering, and 30 per cent as decisive. Cruelly for Mr Brown, more than 56 per cent view him as unlikeable and just 40 per cent likeable; 86 per cent dull and just 12 per cent charismatic. By contrast, 73 per cent see Mr Cameron as likeable (24 per cent unlikeable); and 72 per cent charismatic against 24 per cent dull.

The only check for Mr Cameron is that 57 per cent believe that he says what he thinks people want to hear, against 40 per cent who think that he means what he says. But the balance is 70 to 27 per cent for Mr Brown.

The poll shows a general hardening of partisan attitudes as voters begin to think about the general election. Some Labour ratings have improved compared with a year ago, but so have Conservative ones in most cases.

The Tories are now in a strong position on most public services, which have traditionally been vote-winners for Labour. On doing the best job of improving the NHS, the Tories are on 37 per cent (up 10 points since last March) against 34 per cent for Labour (down 1 point).

The Tories are in the lead on: managing the economy (42 per cent against 33 per cent for Labour); improving standards in schools (39 against 33 per cent); getting the balance right between taxes and spending (38 to 30 per cent); dealing with crime and antisocial behaviour (45 against 27 per cent); immigration and asylum (44 to 24 per cent); and reforming Britain’s political system (37 to 24 per cent). The sole exceptions are reforming welfare (where Labour is ahead by 32 to 30 per cent) and climate change where, as before, the Lib Dems are ahead on 31 per cent, against 25 per cent for Labour.

Similarly, the Tories are ahead in having a good team of leaders, being competent and capable, and having clear ideas to deal with the problems in Britain.

The Tories and the Lib Dems are level pegging on responding well to public anger over MPs’ expenses. The Lib Dems are ahead on sharing respondents’ values, being honest and principled, being for ordinary people and not just the better off, and being a united party.

Populus interviewed a random sample of 1,506 adults by telephone between September 11 and 13. For more details go to www.populus.co.uk

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