BROWN CUTS TORY LEAD BY 11 POINTS

The ComRes survey for The Independent put Labour on 31% (up two), against 39% (down two) for the Tories and Liberal Democrats on 16% (down two).

The eight-point Tory lead is down from 12 points in a similar survey for the paper a month ago and 19 points at the start of September and suggests that Labour is benefiting electorally from voters' judgment on Gordon Brown's handling of the economic crisis.

According to The Independent, the latest findings would end Tory hopes of a landslide victory if repeated in a general election, which would probably produce a hung Parliament with David Cameron's party eight seats short of a majority.

ComRes questioned 1,001 adults by telephone between October 24 and 26.