It seems that panic is beginning to settle in to Team Miliband. The latest Sun poll from Thursday night, showing Labour’s lead over the Conservative Party shrinking to just four points can only add to that uncomfortable feeling.

Ed Balls reply to the autumn statement was frantic and desperate at best. His performance demonstrated how difficult it is to knock back a Chancellor who has stuck to his plans which have been successful.

I wonder if Miliband will consider using his “nuclear option” referring to a Labour endorsement of a 2017 European Union referendum. Most people want it so it would be a vote winner but would dilute any attack on the Conservatives.

But it’s all about the economy. Yesterday’s YouGov-Sun poll results showed that a total of 32 percent said their family would be fairing worse financially now if Miliband’s party won the last election, while a further 31 percent said they would be “much the same as I am today”.

Just one in four – 25 percent – said they thought they would be better off, under Labour, despite the Opposition Leader’s empty promise to ease the squeeze on struggling Brits’ living standards.

Double the amount of people now think the economy would be in a worse state if Labour had won in 2010, by 42 percent versus

What is consistent is that UKIP have replaced the Lib Dems as the protest party. They have again outpolled the Liberal Democrats with 11 and 9 percent respectively.

David Cameron’s party were up to 35 percent, while Labour stay on 39.

Cross fingers for the Miliband / Balls team remaining in place until after the election in 2015