There has been a sharp rise in voters’ faith in George Osborne and David Cameron’s ability to handle the nation’s finances, an opinion poll found in a fresh blow to Labour.
The ICM survey for the Guardian showed 40% had confidence in the Tory Chancellor and Prime Minister on the key issue, up from just 28% in June amid signs of a growing economic recovery.
Shadow chancellor Ed Balls and Labour leader Ed Miliband were well behind on 24% despite enjoying a five-point jump in their own rating over the same period.
The dramatic stretching of the gap came despite continued public pessimism about the prospects for personal finances, with more people expecting their situation to worsen (29%) than improve (24%) over the next year.
