The majority of voters are still opposed to war - although the trend is moving in the prime minister's favour.

An ICM poll in Tuesday's Guardian revealed a strong shift towards support for a war in the Gulf.

The number of those polled who firmly support conflict has risen by nine per cent in the past month.

But just days before war is set to begin those in favour of conflict remain in the minority.

Currently, 38 per cent of those polled support war while 44 per cent remain opposed to conflict.

Opposition remains particular strong among women, with less than a third of those polled saying they would support a war to remove Saddam Hussein.

The trend will, however, come as a relief to Tony Blair, who has staked much of his own political credibility on pursuing the disarmament of Iraq.

ICM found that the prime minister's personal popularity had recovered over the past month, up nine points to minus 11.

Respondents were asked whether they were satisfied with Tony Blair's performance as prime minister.

Some 40 per cent said they were convinced by Blair's performance, yet 51 per cent remained dissatisfied.

The poll undermined the views of those within the Labour Party who have sought to destabilise the prime minister, claiming that he was out of touch with the public and grassroots members.

Seventy per cent of Labour voters felt that Blair continued to do a good job in office, whilst only one in four felt he was failing the party.

The Conservatives will have gained little succour from the poll, which indicated a six point lead for Labour.

The Liberal Democrats appear to have profited from their strong anti-war stance moving up two points to 24 per cent.

The poll also found that George Bush, who has been caricatured as a millstone around the neck of pro-war campaigners, was trusted by the majority of the public.

Respondents were asked how much confidence they had in the US president to make the "right decisions on Iraq". Over 50 per cent said they had confidence that Bush's hawkish stance was correct.

The results of the poll appear to conform with the long established trend of public support for war once armed forces are committed.

Since last month, when over a million people marched through London in opposition to the war, disapproval of the case for conflict has fallen by eight points, whilst support has risen by nine points over the same period.

Respondents were also asked about whether ministers who opposed war in the Gulf should remain in Cabinet.

Some 42 per cent felt that ministers should follow the example of Robin Cook who resigned yesterday citing his opposition to war without a second UN resolution.

However, 47 per cent of respondents said that dissenters should adopt the line of Clare Short, who decided to remain in office despite having "grave concerns" about government policy.