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Tory lead over Labour strengthens (Brendan Carlin, 26/06/2006, Daily Telegraph)

David Cameron challenged Gordon Brown yesterday to an early general election if he succeeds Tony Blair as soon as next year.

The Tory leader threw down the gauntlet as a YouGov survey for The Daily Telegraph showed the Conservatives strengthening their lead over Labour.

The poll puts the Tories on 39 per cent, up one percentage point from last month and close to the 40-plus rating needed to have a majority at the next election. They are now seven points ahead of Labour - their biggest lead for the last six years - and six points up from the General Election. Labour are on 32 per cent, the same as last month but four points down from the election and the Liberal Democrats are on 17 per cent, six points down since May 2005.

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Tories win in redraw of political landscape (David Charter, 6/25/06, Times of London)

BOUNDARY changes make a hung Parliament much more likely at the next election, according to research seen by The Times.

In a double whammy for Labour, the analysis shows that the party will have its overall majority cut to the bone and that several wafer-thin marginals will be created in the South, where Tory leader David Cameron’s appeal is thought greatest.

Had the changes been in place at the last election, Labour’s 64-seat victory would have dropped to 44 with several more seats too close to call, The Times has learnt.

It means that a national swing of just1 per cent will be needed at the next election to wipe out Labour’s overall Commons majority.