Tories increase lead over Labour - poll

LONDON (Reuters) - The Conservatives have extended their lead over the Labour Party to 17 percentage points, according to an opinion poll published on Sunday.

The Conservatives had 42 percent support among those polled against Labour's 25 percent, extending their lead from 16 points last month although down from a 19-point gap last year, according to the YouGov poll in the Sunday Times.

The poll of nearly 2,000 people underlined the likelihood the Conservatives under David Cameron will win the next election, ending Labour's rule after more than 12 years, if current voting intentions continue.

The next parliamentary election has to be held by June 2010.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown is expected to wait as long as possible before calling the election, hoping to give himself and his party a chance to claw back support if the economy and sentiment improve.

The poll showed voters' dissatisfaction over the government's policy on Afghanistan, where Britain has more than 9,000 troops serving as part of a NATO- and U.S.-led coalition.

This month, 16 British soldiers have died as they have stepped up an offensive against the Taliban. The total British death toll -- 185 -- exceeds that in Iraq, from where Britain has withdrawn its troops.

According to the survey, 60 percent of those questioned believed Brown was fighting the war "on the cheap," following criticism that the government was not doing enough to supply frontline troops with helicopters and armoured vehicles.

Twenty-four percent of those polled described the campaign as a worthwhile objective for which it was worth risking British lives, while 48 percent said it was a worthwhile objective but not worth risking British lives for.