Conservative attacks on the state and plans to cut spending may be deeply hurting its support.

The Times reports today:

The Conservatives have failed to get any boost from their party conference last week, according to a new poll for The Times that shows they are relying heavily on support from retired people.

The Populus poll, undertaken over the weekend, reveals that the Tories have slipped one percentage point since mid-September to 40 per cent, while Labour is up three points at 30 per cent. This is the highest Labour rating since April and the smallest gap between the parties since last January.

The poll also showed that 36% in the public sector back the Tories, 41% in the private sector but 49% of the retired.