Tebbit says PM 'incompetent' over Andrew Mitchell

David Cameron has been criticised by Conservative peer Norman Tebbit following chief whip Andrew Mitchell's resignation on Friday.

He said the prime minister had allowed "this dog of a coalition government" to look incompetent.

Mr Mitchell has said the row over his confrontation with Downing Street police had made his position untenable.

Meanwhile, a poll suggests Labour has increased its lead over the Conservatives to eight points.

Writing in the Observer Lord Tebbit said: "This dog of a coalition government has let itself be given a bad name and now anybody can beat it. It has let itself be called a government of unfeeling toffs.

"Past governments have had far more real Tory toffs: prime ministers Alec Douglas-Home and Harold Macmillan, or even in Thatcher's day, Whitelaw, Soames, Hailsham, Carrington, Gowrie, Joseph, Avon, Trenchard and plenty more, without incurring similar abuse."

He added: "The abiding sin of the government is not that some ministers are rich, but that it seems unable to manage its affairs competently."

Lord Tebbit, who served in Margaret Thatcher's cabinet, said Mr Cameron needed to impose "some managerial discipline not just on his colleagues but on himself".

"Had Ed Miliband concentrated his fire on a long list of muddles, from the proposed sale of our national forests to the BAE and energy policy muddles of recent days, it would have been far worse," he added.

In his resignation letter, Mr Mitchell repeated his "categorical assurance" that he did not call police officers "plebs" - as claimed in a police report on the incident.

But he added: "The offending comment and the reason for my apology to the police was my parting remark 'I thought you guys were supposed to f***ing help us'.

Mr Cameron, who had supported Mr Mitchell, said he "understood" why he was resigning, adding: "I regret this has become necessary."

His resignation had been sought by Labour and the Police Federation, which represents rank and file officers.

At a union rally in Hyde Park on Saturday, Labour leader Ed Miliband said the government remained on the wrong path despite the resignation.

"Andrew Mitchell may finally have resigned, but the culture of two nations runs right across this government. They cut taxes for millionaires, and raise taxes for ordinary families," he said.

On Friday, Education Secretary Michael Gove defended Mr Cameron, saying one of the reasons he was an "outstanding leader" was because he "believes in backing those who work for him".

The Comres survey for The Independent on Sunday and the Sunday Mirror says Labour has seen its support rise by two percentage points in the past month to 41%, while David Cameron's Tories have dropped two to 33%.

The Liberal Democrats are unchanged on 10%, just one point ahead of the UK Independence Party, up one on nine per cent.