Labour has taken the lead in three opinion polls, giving a boost to Ed Miliband’s hopes of becoming prime minister.

A Panelbase poll put Labour six points ahead of the Tories while it recorded a four-point lead in a Survation poll for the Mirror and a three-point one in a TNS poll.



A larger number of people also thought Miliband was doing a better job than David Cameron for the first time, according to Survation.

The Labour leader edged ahead of his rival when it came to the net score for people saying he was doing a good job (3.2%), compared with those saying he was doing a bad job (2.3%).

However, Cameron still retained a 12-point lead on the question of who would make the best prime minister.

The Survation survey found overwhelming public support – 59% to 16% – for Labour’s pledge to abolish non-domicile tax status.



David Cameron speaks at the National Grid facility in Eakring on the campaign trail. Photograph: David Sillitoe/Guardian

The two main parties have been deadlocked in the polls for weeks, although some recently suggested that the Conservatives had taken a slight lead.

Labour will be hoping Thursday’s three polls are a sign of a decisive breakthrough for its campaign in the weeks after Miliband received extra exposure in the leaders’ debate and in the interview with Jeremy Paxman.

It is likely to have sent Conservative headquarters into a panic that the “crossover” point they are seeking, where strategists believe they will overtake Labour, is failing to materialise.