Blair 'only alternative to Brown'

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None of the Cabinet ministers currently being touted as possible successors to Mr Brown would improve the party's standing, while some would even do worse, suggested the ComRes survey for the Independent.

According to the poll, Mr Blair would almost halve the Conservatives' poll lead from 19 to 10 points if he returned to 10 Downing Street, reducing the Tories' projected majority after the next election from 182 seats to just 20.

The poll put Conservatives on 44% - down two points on a similar poll last month - Labour on 25% (up one) and Liberal Democrats on 17% (down one).

With Mr Blair as leader, Labour's rating would leap six points to 31%, found the survey.

But under Foreign Secretary David Miliband or Justice Secretary Jack Straw, the party would remain on 25%, while if Health Secretary Alan Johnson or deputy leader Harriet Harman became leader Labour would slump two points to 23%. Under Schools Secretary Ed Balls, the party's rating would be just 22%.

The poll may provide some comfort to the embattled Prime Minister in the run-up to Labour's annual conference, as it suggests that there is no clear candidate to replace him for potential rebels to rally around.

Worse news for Mr Brown is the finding that he is personally unpopular among many of his party's supporters, and that the Labour "brand" appears tarnished in the eyes of many voters.

Some 49% of those questioned said they like neither Mr Brown nor the Labour Party. Only 16% said they like both the PM and the party.

Some 34% of those who said they intend to vote Labour - more than one in three of the party's supporters - said that they do not like Mr Brown. And just 58% of the party's supporters said that they like both Labour and Mr Brown.