The gamble pays off: Miliband poll ratings shoot up

By Ian Dunt

Ed Miliband's speech has earned him a crucial poll bounce in the all-important area of who would make the best prime minister.

While Labour has regularly enjoyed a ten-point lead over the Tories, Miliband has struggled with his own personal ratings against David Cameron, who is considered a tougher, more prime ministerial figure.

But polling conducted since his 'one nation' speech shows the opposition leader challenging the prime minister in his last remaining area of advantage.

Twenty-seven per cent of people now think Miliband would make the best prime minister, just four points below Cameron's 31%, the YouGov poll showed.

Meanwhile Labour's lead has grown to 14 points, with the party's 45% support comparing favourably to 31% for the Tories and ten per cent for the Lib Dems.

Miliband enjoyed a massive 12-point jump on those who believe he has "made clear what he stands for", suggesting the speech resonated with the public.

Twenty-eight per cent of respondents thought Labour best fits the description of a 'one nation' party, compared to just 14% for the Conservatives.

The figure is remarkable, given the phrase has been associated with the Tory party for over 100 years.

However, 39% answered 'none of them' while 13% said 'don’t know'.

The figures compare very favourably with last year, when Miliband failed to get a conference bounce from his 'producers vs predators' speech.

They also suggest Cameron will have to take on Miliband's ideas in his own speech, or risk handing over the idea of government for all to his opponent.