Conservatives move almost neck and neck with Labour as party rating rises three points following George Osborne's budget

The Conservatives have moved almost neck and neck with Labour in the wake of George Osborne's budget last week, according to two polls.

The Conservatives rose four points to 34% in a Survation/Mail on Sunday survey, a point behind Labour, which gained one point.

The Tory gain came at the expense of Ukip and the Lib Dems, both three points down at 15% and 9% respectively. The poll of 1,000 adults was carried out on Thursday and Sunday.

Another poll by YouGov for the Sunday Times carried out after the budget had the Conservatives up three points and a point behind Labour, on 36% to 37%. Labour were down three points.

The Labour backbencher John Mann told the newspaper that Ed Miliband needed to "speak the language of voters in Bassetlaw, not academics in Hampstead".

He said: "It's talking clear, simple language that people understand. It's all too clever at the moment. A reshuffle of his speechwriters would help.

"What the Labour shadow cabinet should do is get out of its policy committees and get out onto the doorstep and listen to the experiences of Britain's people."

Chuka Umunna, the shadow business secretary, said polls went up and down and what really mattered was how people would vote at the next election.

He told the BBC: "We have seen under Ed Miliband's leadership the Labour party put on over a 1,000 extra councillors, importantly in the marginal seats we need to get a majority at next year's general election.

"We have put on tens of thousands of new members since May 2010 and, of course, let's not forget what people were saying in May 2010 – they were writing the party off – people are seriously talking about us actually winning this year and that is not what they were doing in May 2010."

He added: "What we are focused on is actually talking to the issues that matter to people."

In another new poll, nearly three-quarters of those surveyed said they did not believe David Cameron would be able to keep his promise to claw back powers from the EU.

It found that 51% thought other member states would block reforms, while 26% doubted the prime minister's skills as a negotiator. The survey of 20,000 people came from the Tory peer Lord Ashcroft, now a respected pollster.

Around two-thirds of those questioned said other countries benefited more from the EU than the UK did, and 49% thought the drawbacks of being a member outweighed the advantages. Around 31% said the opposite and 20% were not sure.

The survey also suggested people had a more positive view of Russia than of the EU. The European parliament came fourth from bottom in a league table of 27 "liked" countries and institutions. Only Saudi Arabia, Iran and North Korea were placed below it.

Ashcroft told the Sun on Sunday: "Many like David Cameron's plan to negotiate better terms for Britain. The trouble is, three-quarters of them doubt it will work. Most of the pessimists think other countries will not be prepared to make concessions to Britain however well the PM argues the case. Others question his ability to persuade or think he wants Britain to stay in the EU regardless."

The former Tory deputy chairman added: "But those who say the whole country is clamouring for a referendum are wrong. Some, certainly, think it is the greatest question of our time. But even among the most hostile voters, only a third put Europe among the most crucial issues facing the country.

"That is why Cameron's 'negotiate and decide' policy will please some voters but won't win the election all by itself."