Cameron still ahead of Brown - poll

12 April 2012

Tory leader David Cameron is still ahead of Gordon Brown as voters' choice of future Prime Ministers, a new poll showed.

But although he leads his most likely next Labour foe by 5%, he is still less popular among the youngest electors and in key northern battlegrounds, it found.

The ICM survey for the News of the World gave Mr Cameron a five-point lead over Mr Brown (42%-37%), less than the advantage the Tories enjoy over Labour under Tony Blair.

And he has a healthy advantage in the South-East (16%) and the Midlands (12%) and among the 25- to 34-years-olds (4%) and over-55s (9%) as well as a slim 4% lead in Wales and the South-West.

But Mr Brown, as well as enjoying a 28-point margin among fellow Scots, remains ahead in the vital North of England battleground, although by just one point.

He also has the backing of 18 to 24-year-olds by 44% to 38% while the remaining age group - those aged 45 to 54 - are split equally between the two men.

Support for Scottish independence is much higher among English voters than those north of the border.

A majority oppose higher spending on Scots households and votes for Scots MPs on English-only issues and 56% believe it is now time to end the 300-year-old Union, according to a separate ICM poll for the newspaper.

But in Scotland itself - where the high-flying SNP is promising a referendum on independence if it takes power in Thursday's Holyrood parliament elections - only 41% back the move.

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