Conservatives improve lead - poll

Mr Cameron is more popular Gordon Brown, the poll has said

David Cameron's Conservative Party has opened up a six-point lead over Labour following the annual Tory conference, a new opinion poll has suggested.

The Conservatives are on 38%, Labour are second with 32% while the Liberal Democrats have 20%, according to the ICM poll for the Sunday Telegraph.

An ICM poll published before the Bournemouth Tory conference had the Conservatives ahead by one point.

The ICM latest research interviewed 1,005 adults between October 4 and 5.

The poll also suggested Mr Cameron was more popular than Chancellor Gordon Brown, who is expected to replace Tony Blair as Labour leader and prime minister.

Researchers asked who would make the better prime minister, with 45% choosing Mr Cameron as against 34% for Mr Brown.

The poll also found 54% wanted British troops to leave Iraq and Afghanistan by the end of 2006.