Polls cast doubt over snap election

The trio of polls, for Channel 4 News and The Times and The Guardian, show Labour's lead cut to four points, three points and in the case of the Guardian ICM poll, neck and neck with 38%.

The results are now bound to cast real doubts over the prospects of a November General Election.

The survey, in which final polling data has just been released, also has the Liberal Democrats on 16 points. It was conducted after David Cameron's unscripted address to the Tory conference in Blackpool.

The Conservative Party's support has climbed six points since the last ICM poll for the paper last month, while Labour's lead has fallen by eight points.

Meanwhile, a Populus poll for the Times has Labour on 39 points, the Tories on 36 and the Lib Dems on 15. Three-fifths of the respondents to the poll were interviewed after Mr Cameron's speech. The survey has the Tories up five points since a poll last week, Labour down two points and the Liberal Democrats also down two.

A YouGov poll for Channel 4 News showed the Labour lead cut from 11 points to four, with Labour on 40 points, the Conservatives on 36 and the Liberal Democrats on 13. Other parties are on 11.

The figures emerged as Mr Cameron attempted to flush out Gordon Brown's intentions by writing to ask for Tory frontbenchers to be given access to senior civil servants to prepare the ground for a possible handover of power.

By convention, senior opposition spokesmen are given an opportunity to meet officials before an election to ensure the Civil Service is ready to implement their policies if they are elected.

In a letter to the Prime Minister, Mr Cameron said he wanted the talks to start tomorrow so senior Tories can explain their priorities for government if they triumph at the polls. "Given that you have allowed members of the Cabinet to speculate openly that an election is to be called imminently, I am asking you today to give the necessary instructions for such meetings to begin immediately," he wrote.