(Angus Reid Global Scan) - The governing Labour party remains the most popular political organization in Britain, according to a poll by Populus published in The Times. 39 per cent of respondents would vote for Labour in the next election to the House of Commons.

The Conservative party is second with 36 per cent, followed by the Liberal Democrats with 16 per cent. Nine per cent of respondents would vote for other parties. Support for both Labour and the Tories increased by one point since December, while backing for the Lib-Dems fell by three points.

In May 2005, British voters renewed the House of Commons. The governing Labour party secured 356 seats, followed by the Conservatives with 197 and the Liberal Democrats with 62. Labour leader Tony Blair has served as prime minister since 1997.

Last month, the Conservative party announced that David Cameron would be their new leader. The 39-year-old Cameron becomes the fourth person to command the opposition organization in the past eight years.

The Liberal Democrats will settle on a new leader by early March. The leadership ballot was called this month after Charles Kennedy admitted to a drinking problem. Foreign affairs spokesman Menzies Campbell and home affairs spokesman Mark Oaten have already declared their candidacies.

The next election to the House of Commons must be held on or before Jun. 3, 2010. Sitting prime ministers can dissolve Parliament and call an early ballot at their discretion.

In October 2004, Blair vowed to retire at the end of his third term in office. Current chancellor of the exchequer Gordon Brown has been mentioned as his possible replacement.

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