Conservatives extend poll lead

Conservative Party leader David Cameron attends a news conference at theThomson Reuters building in the Canary Wharf business district, in London December 15, 2008.

LONDON (Reuters) - The Conservatives have increased their opinion poll lead over the Labour party by one point to 16 points this month, according to a ComRes poll to be published on Tuesday.

The survey for the Independent newspaper showed support for the Conservatives at 44 percent, Labour's unchanged at 28 percent and the Liberal Democrats on 17 percent.

If realised at the next election due by mid-2010, those figures would give the Conservatives a powerful parliamentary majority of 128 after more than a decade in opposition, the Independent said.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown's Labour party enjoyed a popularity boost at the height of the credit crunch last year because many felt Brown was the best politician to deal with the challenges ahead after ten years as finance minister.

A ComRes survey published on December 2 showed Labour just one point behind the Conservatives.

However, that bounce proved temporary as Britain slumped into recession, with the economy shrinking at its fastest pace since 1980 in the three months to December and unemployment surging higher.

The latest ComRes poll showed the Conservatives are now most trusted to steer Britain through the recession, with an approval rating of 35 percent compared with 28 percent for Labour.

(Reporting by Matt Falloon; editing by Andrew Roche)