Double blow for Miliband as most voters think they would be no better off under Labour as his supporters flock to Ukip

32% think they would have been poorer if Labour won the last election
31% thought they would be 'much the same' and only 25% said 'better off'
Ed Miliband has accused the government of a 'cost of living crisis'
Nigel Farage insists Ukip is taking more votes from Labour than the Tories

PUBLISHED: 09:54 EST, 13 December 2013 | UPDATED: 10:35 EST, 13 December 2013

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Most voters fear they would be worse off or have made no progress under Labour, according to a damning poll.

Six out of ten Britons believe they would be poorer or no better off if Ed Miliband's party was in power today.

The findings are a major blow to Mr Miliband as Ukip leader Nigel Farage claims he is now taking more votes from Labour than the Tories in key marginals.

Blow: Despite Labour accusing the government of a 'cost of living crisis', most voters do not think they would be any better off under Ed Miliband's party

Some 32 per cent felt they would be poorer if Labour had won the 2010 election and 31 per cent thought they would be 'much the same'.

Just a quarter believed they would be wealthier under Mr Miliband.

Labour's lead over the Conservatives has narrowed to just four points, down from six in a previous poll.

The main opposition party is now on 39, while the Tories are on 35 per cent with UKIP on 11, ahead of the Liberal Democrats on 9.

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The poll showed that Labour is trailing on economic credibility. Some 42 per cent believe the country would be worse off economically under Labour, with just 21 per cent disagreeing.

The YouGov poll for The Sun shows how the Labour leader's vow to ease the squeeze on the cost of living is failing to resonate with voters.

Coalition ministers have tried to outflank Mr Miliband's most eye-catching policy of freezing energy prices by matching it with a pledge to roll back green taxes.

If Labour had won the last election

How would the economy be doing under Labour?

THE RISING COST OF CHRISTMAS

Cost: There have been above inflation rises in the cost of poultry, potatoes and cakes since the election, while wages have risen by just 6 per cent

Shoppers stocking up on everything they need for a Christmas dinner face paying up to 28 per cent more than they did just three years ago.

The price of turkeys, potatoes, cakes, wine and chocolates have risen several times faster than wages, hitting families in the pocket.

Labour claimed the figures means there will be 'real worry' about the cost of celebrating this year, and accused the government of failing to boost wages as the economy recovers.

Figures compiled by Labour show how the price of festive favourites have risen dramatically.

Poultry has soared by 14.6 per cent since May 2010, hitting anyone planning to serve traditional turkey on the big day.

Even more alarmingly potatoes have soared by 28.1 per cent, more than double the rate of inflation of 12.7 per cent over the same period.

However wages have risen by just 6 per cent since the election.

Anyone with a sweet tooth will also feel the pinch, with biscuits and cakes up 21 per cent and sweets and chocolates 18.3 per cent more expensive.

The cost of a Christmas tipple has also risen, with wine and spirits up 14.5 per cent.

But privately, senior Tories believe that voters will put a party's competence to steer the country out of recession ahead of populist policies.

The government has been stung by criticism that despite a return to economic growth most people feel no better off.

Wages have risen by a fraction of the increase in prices.

But yesterday Chancellor George Osborne seized on figures from the Office for National Statistics showing that average earnings were now keeping pace with inflation.

He told the Commons Treasury Committee: ‘It shows that median gross weekly earnings are increasing at 2.2 per cent.

'That is, of course, the current rate of inflation. So I think that points to the broader argument that I have been making, which is that as the economy recovers, that is the route to a sustained increase in the living standards of the people who live in that economy, and you can't pretend that the two aren't connected, that you can have a living standards plan without an economy plan.’

UKIP Leader Nigel Farage also revealed that his party was taking more votes from Labour than Conservatives in marginal seats.

He said he wanted to overturn the myth that by voting UKIP, the country would let in Labour by the backdoor.

A poll to be released next week would 'really stun people' he told LBC Radio.

'It's going to show that in most of our target constituencies the vast majority of our votes are not coming from Conservatives.

'Yes, we get Conservative votes but we're picking up huge numbers of old Labour votes from Birmingham and Northwoods but we're also picking up a lot of votes from people who have given up voting completely,' he said.

Mr Farage added: 'The idea of "vote UKIP, get Miliband" is wrong and there are now some marginal seats in this country where actually the only Party that could beat Labour is UKIP.'

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Bram, Bushey, 1 day ago

No better or no worse under labour. But labour will simp[ly bankrupt the country as well.

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danny1966, crawley, 2 days ago

the reason thyat people are defecting to UKIP from labour is simply that we will not get an eu referendum under labour

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Pete Donny, Sheffield, United Kingdom, 2 days ago

Labour are still ahead in the polls, I note.

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Alan, Huddersfield, 2 days ago

All parties along with some media have started their smear campaign against Nigel Farage and UKIP, this shows they are getting more worried every day. But UKIP has a strong base of people who are totally sick of the lies and dishonesty the three main parties have given us these past 50 years. WE NEED GOOD LEADERSHIP THAT PUTS THE UK FIRST. And Nigel Farage IS THE MAN TO DO IT.

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jvimum, london, 2 days ago

Who says propaganda doesn't work?

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C.M.Calvert, Poole, United Kingdom, 2 days ago

PEOPLE use your BRAINS this lot, and the hangers on Party are no better than the Last lot , which was the worst lot of incompetents that we have had in a generation We simply cannot go back onto the SEESAW Politics that we keep going back to. It simply does NOT WORK WE N E E D to give someone else a chance . Nobody on earth could be worse than what we have now or waiting in the wings to screw the country up once more UKIP might just teach us ALL something . At least THEY say how it is rather than making promises that are just lies

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Tony, Bolton, 2 days ago

One thing for certain wherever the votes go it wont be to Conservative or LibDem unless they dump Cameron and Clegg.

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Smujsmith, Pig-atop-the-hill, United Kingdom, 2 days ago

If you look at what's on offer there's a simple choice, if you are pro EU you vote for any of the LibLabCo EU alliance, if you want out then UKIP are the only party that offers a departure, rapidly. Myself and many friends now will vote for UKIP as the old, failed parties have had their chance to listen to the people, on 7 May 2015 I'm hoping they will finally hear us, loud and clear.

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Lovetheuk, London, United Kingdom, 2 days ago

So Ukip will have to print billions to fund the creation of new british companies to compete with all the European companies in the UK, most will pull out investment unemployment will rocket if they don't print and spend.

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Rocco77, Jomtien Thai and London, Thailand, 2 days ago

Trade with the EU Countries will continue as is. The EU cannot afford to ignore a 60 million person market place. Don't forget we import more from the EU than we export.