Labour's latest leadership rows have contributed to a drop in the party's support in the opinion polls.
After the third failed attempt to ditch Gordon Brown, a Populus poll for the Times put Labour on 28 per cent, down two points on last month.
That is 13 points behind the Conservative Party, which is up to 41 per cent. Nick Clegg's Liberal Democrats are down to 19 per cent.
The poll also found an improvement in the prime minister's personal rating, with 41 per cent believing he is the best leader Labour could have at present.
Tuesday's survey follows a meeting of the parliamentary Labour Party, where Brown unveiled his campaign team for the coming general election, expected in May.
The prime minister vowed to challenge the Conservatives head on and made it clear he would fight the election on his record of taking the UK out of the recession
In a 20-minute speech to his MPs, Brown said: "This has been a hard-won recovery and it will be the platform for victory."
