Gordon Brown is Labour's primary asset ahead of the expected general election, according to a post-Budget YouGov poll for Friday's Telegraph.

With the public broadly endorsing the Budget, the survey suggests that Labour would stand a better chance of securing a third term in power if the chancellor was prime minister.

The poll found that 63 per cent see Brown as an "asset" to Labour compared to 34 per cent for Blair.

Asked who is doing the better job, 52 per cent say Brown compared to 17 per cent for Blair.

The poll shows general satisfaction with the Budget, with 44 per cent regarding it as "fair" and more people still preferring increased investment in public services to tax cuts.