There is fresh evidence that the Government has failed to convince voters its spending cuts are "fair", with a fresh poll showing a majority disagree.
A survey by ICM for The Guardian found the electorate backed independent analysis that its austerity package will hit the poor hardest by 52% to 44%.
A growing number - 48% - also now believe the cuts go too far, with only 36% believing Chancellor George Osborne got the balance right in last week's spending review.
That compares with the 55% that backed the scale and pace of the plans in July.
Labour will be concerned however that the public's fears over the cuts have not been translated into political advantage - with the Conservatives' overall rating rising.
David Cameron's party was backed by 39% of voters - up four on the newspaper's last such poll in September and enough for the Tories' first lead in the series since July.
Under new leader Ed Miliband, Labour slipped a point to 36% on last month, seeing a two-point advantage turned into a three-point deficit.
Compared with the most recent ICM polling, the Tories were up one and Labour unchanged.
The Liberal Democrats were on 16%, down two on September's rating, with only 45% of those who backed Nick Clegg's party in May's general election still backing it now.
ICM Research interviewed a random sample of 1,002 adults by telephone on October 22-24 and the results were weighted to the profile of all adults.
