Opinion poll predicts heavy defeat for Labour

Brown in deep trouble as two newspapers switch support

Days before the general election on May 6, a Daily Mail poll revealed Labour support has crashed to 24 per cent following Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s ‘bigot’ gaffe and his lacklustre performance in the final TV debate.

But it provided cold comfort for Conservative leader David Cameron — putting his party on 33 per cent, just one ahead of the Liberal democrats.

The findings suggest Britain is firmly on course for a hung Parliament.

Meanwhile, Brown admitted that Wednesday’s encounter with 68-year-old Gillian Duffy had damaged him. “I have personally paid this heavy price for a mistake that I made,” he said.

“Sometimes you say things in the heat of the moment, sometimes you pay a very heavy price for those things. Sometimes you say things you greatly regret. And I have paid a very high price for it,” he said.

Brown suffered a further blow as two major newspapers withdrew their support for Labour. Guardian stated that it would support Lib Dems and The Times would back Tories. The Daily Telegraph, The Sun and several other newspapers are already campaigning on behalf of the Conservatives.