A British newspaper poll today found that voters preferred Conservative leader David Cameron over Chancellor Gordon Brown as the country's next leader.
Asked which party they would back in a future election, just 29 per cent said the governing Labour Party if - as expected - it was led by chancellor Gordon Brown, compared with 42 per cent who opted for the Conservatives under David Cameron.
A further 17 per cent said they would vote for the smaller opposition Liberal Democrats, led by Menzies Campbell, according to the Guardian newspaper/ICMsurvey.
The Conservatives' 13-point lead was the highest they had scored in any ICM poll since July 1992, just after the party won its last general election, the Guardianreported.
But Labour appeared to fare slightly better when voters were simply asked which party they would support, without specific reference to the leader or potential leader.
The poll found 31 per cent chose Labour, 40 per cent said the Conservatives and 19 per cent went for the Liberal Democrats.
Mr Blair is expected to hand over to his old rival Mr Brown in July at the latest after a decade in office. It is thought he may announce his exit soon after May 3rd elections for the Scottish parliament, Welsh assembly and local councils.