Labour is closing the gap on the Conservatives following the publication of the parties’ General Election manifestos, a series of polls show.

The Tory advantage was narrowed to nine points in a YouGov survey for the Sunday Times – the first time it has been in single figures in a mainstream poll since Theresa May called the snap election on April 18.

Jeremy Corbyn claimed his message of “for the many, not the few” was getting through to voters as four Sunday newspapers’ polls put Labour between 35 per cent and 33 per cent – up significantly on the scores as low as 26 per cent it was recording early in the campaign.

Although the figures would deliver a comfortable Tory majority if repeated on June 8, they will bolster Labour insiders' belief that Mr Corbyn's campaign is making inroads into Theresa May's support following her poorly-received policies on social care for the elderly.

Mr Corbyn also made a further push to win over pensioners by highlighting five Labour pledges for older people. He argued that the Tory manifesto, which included plans to ditch the triple-lock protection on the state pension and means-test winter fuel payments, has weakened the Conservatives' formerly firm grip on the grey vote.

The Labour leader said he would keep the triple lock, winter fuel payments and free bus passes and would halt planned rises in the retirement age beyond 66, as well as ensuring "justice" for women born in the 1950s affected by the equalisation of women's and men's pension eligibility.

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Mr Corbyn (pictured above) said: "Not satisfied with plunging our social care system into crisis, Theresa May's nasty party has promised more attacks on older people.

"Theresa May and the Conservatives won't stand up for pensioners, their only concern is their billionaire friends.

"Labour is proud to stand up for the many, not the few."

But senior Conservatives took the fight to Labour over Mr Corbyn's tax plans, claiming almost five million homes could be affected by his promise to lower thresholds for inheritance tax.

Labour's manifesto promised to reverse inheritance tax "giveaways" introduced by the Conservatives, but did not say what threshold the party would set for the 40 per cent levy.

Reversing George Osborne's reforms, which have lifted it to £850,000 and are due to see it rise further to £1 million by 2021, would take it back down to £650,000.

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Chancellor Philip Hammond (pictured above and Theresa May) claimed Labour would go further and impose the tax on all homes worth £425,000 or more, which would catch 3.9 million of the 25 million properties across England and Wales.

Mr Hammond said: "Jeremy Corbyn wants to hit family homes with a bombshell of new taxes.

"Ordinary families across the country will suffer because of his nonsensical policies.

"People who have worked hard all their lives, saved and improved their homes will now be hit with this punishing family homes tax."

Rising house prices could be expected to increase the total to 4.9 million within five years if the threshold stayed at that level, said Tories.

If the Conservative figures are right, some 51 per cent of homes in London, 48 per cent in Cambridge, 46.7 per cent in Guildford and 38.7 per cent in Oxford would be liable for the extra tax, the party said.

Overall, some 15.3 per cent of properties in England and Wales would be hit, with the lowest impact felt in Torfaen in south Wales (0.2 per cent of properties), Merthyr Tydfil (0.3 per cent) and Neath Port Talbot and Barrow-in-Furness (0.6 per cent).