The feud between Tony Blair and Gordon Brown has not hit Labour's election prospects, according to a new poll.

A Populus survey for the News of the World on Sunday suggested that the government is on course to retain its majority of around 160 seats, despite the briefing battle between prime minister and chancellor.

The news is a blow to the Tories, who have tried to cash in on reports of the rift with campaign posters highlighting the divide between 10 and 11 Downing Street.

The size of the projected majority is even more impressive given that the number of MPs is set to fall at the election as boundary changes take effect in Scotland.

And time is running out for the Tories, with just 26 per cent of respondents saying they could still change their minds ahead of the vote.

If repeated at the election, the poll would be the second time the Conservatives have failed to make any inroads into Labour's landslide victory of 1997.

In 2001 they gained just one seat, going from 165 MPs to 166, with Populus projecting that figure to fall to 163 if current levels of support are repeated when the election.

Labour would return to Westminster with 403 MPs if the poll, taken last week, proves accurate.

The government currently has 410 seats but would have a majority only one seat smaller after the boundary changes.

The poll of 202 marginal constituencies predicts that the Liberal Democrats will make small gains in Tory held seats, with a net gain of two seats from 2001, while the minor parties would lose two MPs.

The survey taken after a week of poor headlines for the government confirms the failure of the Blair-Brown feud to impact on the electorate.

Although 49 per cent of respondents said the divisions were "damaging" for Labour, 76 per cent said it made no difference to how they would cast their vote.