Polls: Labour lead holding

Sunday's opinion polls have found Labour maintaining its lead over the Conservatives.

An ICM poll for the Sunday Telegraph put Labour on 39 per cent, with the Conservatives on 33 per cent and the Liberal Democrats on 21 per cent.

A YouGov poll for the Sunday Times put Labour on 37 points, the Tories on 33 per cent and the Lib Dems on 23 per cent.

And a third poll, British Polling Index for the Mail on Sunday, found that among those certain to vote Labour is on 36 per cent, the Conservatives on 34 per cent and the Lib Dems on 22 points.

With immigration remaining a key election issue, ICM found that 51 per cent of those quizzed agreed with Michael Howard that the "current level of immigration is putting community relations at risk".

However, just nine per cent cited immigration as their top concern.

The surveys came as the Sunday Times reported on a leaked memo from Labour campaign chief Alastair Campbell.

The former Number 10 spin doctor said the Conservative focus on asylum and immigration was "skewing the perception of the party to the right" and "turns off" middle Britain.

"People are beginning to ask if MH [Howard] ever talks about anything else," wrote Campbell.

"Men in particular have begun to notice MH never speaks on the economy."

The memo also warns of a "strong risk" that low turn out could hit Labour "very hard indeed".