David Cameron is the first Conservative leader to beat Tony Blair on popularity since 1994, a new poll has shown.

The YouGov survey for Friday's Telegraph newspaper may give some comfort to the party following its electoral scare in the Bromley and Chislehurst by-election, where a large Tory majority was significantly cut.

Asked who would make the best prime minister, 30 per cent chose Cameron compared to 28 per cent for Blair.

At the general election last year, then Conservative leader Michael Howard was seen as the best person for the job by 25 per cent of respondents, while Blair had the backing of 38 per cent.

The poll also shows the Conservatives to be level-pegging with Labour on economic competence, suggesting Cameron has gone some way to overturning Blair and Gordon Brown's domination of the issue.

Asked which party was likely to run the economy best, 31 per chose both Labour and the Tories - compared to 49 per cent for Labour and 27 per cent for the Tories at last year's election.

Cameron also outpolls Blair's likely successor, with 45 per cent saying they would rather see a Conservative government led by Cameron after the next election, compared to 38 per cent in favour of a Brown administration.

The poll's headline result showed the Tories maintaining a steady lead over Labour.

It put the Conservatives on 39 per cent, six points up on the 2005 election, Labour three points down on 33 and the Liberal Democrats five points down on 18.