The Conservatives have recovered their opinion poll lead over Labour following their annual party conference, according to a new survey.
The ICM poll for The Sunday Telegraph put the Tories on 38%, six points ahead of Labour on 32% with the Liberal Democrats on 20%.
The findings come after an ICM poll last weekend ahead of the Tory conference in Bournemouth put the two main parties almost neck-and-neck, with the Conservatives on 36% and Labour on 35%.
Asked who would make the better prime minister, 45% chose Tory leader David Cameron as against 34% for Chancellor Gordon Brown.
The poll also found 54% wanted British troops out of Iraq by the end of the year and 52% wanted them brought back from Afghanistan by the same date.
Meanwhile, when MPs return to the Commons over the next few days they may be forgiven for being uncertain about what lies ahead.
Tony Blair has pledged to stand down as Labour leader, and therefore Prime Minister, by next September but the contents of the Queen's speech on November 15 will carry legislation for the following 12 months.
And there is no guarantee that his successor - still predicted to be Chancellor Gordon Brown - will want to be committed to a raft of legislation drawn up by the out-going incumbent of Number 10.
Getting a grip on immigration is seen as a priority in the face of a resurgent Tory party which has until recently traditionally used it as a key criticism of the Government.
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There are also strong calls for a Climate Change Bill in the Queen's Speech. Tories and the Liberal Democrats have made it clear that they would back the Government if it introduces legislation to cut UK carbon dioxide levels.
