Labour poll rating hits low

		By David Cowling Editor, BBC political research

The ICM/Channel 4 News poll puts Labour on 43% (their lowest rating in the campaign so far), the Conservatives on 31% and the Lib Dems on 19%.

The best news here is undoubtedly for the Lib Dems, whose ratings have been slowly improving throughout the campaign.

Three of the first four polls of the campaign put them on 13% and the most recent four have put them between 16-19%.

This latest rating is consistent with other polls that have registered some plaudits for the Lib Dem campaign so far.

Waiting for Sunday

Labour will be troubled by this result: they could do without any hint of a slide starting just one week from polling day.

However, they may seek some consolation from the BBC News Online Virtual Vote computer model which shows, when these figures are fed into it, that the Labour majority would be barely dented.

Whilst the Conservatives will be delighted at the poll's suggestion that Labour's lead is falling, they cannot fail to be concerned that this seems the product of a movement from Labour to Lib Dem rather than a direct reward to them.

The clutch of polls to be published on Sunday will, as a result of this survey, be viewed with even greater interest than usual.