By . Matt Chorley, Mailonline Political Editor . PUBLISHED: . 12:29 EST, 6 February 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 15:29 EST, 6 February 2014 . Optimism about the Brititsh economy is now at its highest level since 1997, a new poll shows today. As the recovery gains momentum and growth powers ahead the rest of Europe, half of Brits expected things to improve this year while fewer than one in four expect it to get worse. In a major boost for the Tories, the improvement in the economy has fed through to better poll ratings for David Cameron. Prime Minister David Cameron, pictured visiting St Bridgeds Catholic primary school in Birmingham, has seen his poll ratings rise as the economy grows . Asked by IpsosMORI if what will happen to the ‘general economic condition of the country’ over the next 12 months, 50 per cent said improve and 24 per cent said it would get worse, a net result of +26 per cent. The last time the economic optimism rating was so high was in May 1997, when Tony Blair’s New Labour swept to power in a landslide general victory, when it stood at +28. The current rating is higher than anything seen during the Thatcher and Major governments. Overall Labour still has an overall lead . in the poll on 38 per cent, down one point, with the Tories on 31 per . cent, up one, and Lib Dems on 12 and Ukip 10. Do you think the economy will improve, get worse or stay the same? Gideon Skinner, Head of Political Research at Ipsos MORI said:  ‘Yet another surge in economic optimism to near-record levels has given David Cameron a personal boost for his stewardship of the economy, while after a difficult month for Nick Clegg his personal ratings have fallen - as have Nigel Farage’s. ‘And yet despite that the party shares – and Labour’s lead – have remained steady. ‘How these different trends play out together - especially as other issues come to the fore - is going to be key as we get closer to an election.’ Some 42 per cent of people now trust Mr Cameron more than the other party leaders to deal with managing the economy. By comparison just 20 per cent trust Labour leader Ed Miliband, 5 per cent Lib Dem Nick Clegg and 3 per cent Nigel Farage. It means Mr Cameron’s lead over Mr Miliband has lengthened to 22 points from 14 points in May last year. Mr Cameron now also has a 5 point lead over Mr Miliband on being trusted to deal with unemployment. New figures show the economy gre by 0.7 per cent in the last three months of 2013, the fourth quarter of growth in a row . During 35 years of polling by IpsosMori, economic optim9sm has only been higher when Tony Blair won a landslide for Labour in 1997 . The poll boost comes after a raft of positive economic news for the government. Britain's economy grew by 1.9 per cent in 2013, the fastest rate since the economic crash, according to the Offical for Natrional Statistics. The IMF last month revealed it now expects growth of in Britain 2.4 per cent in 2014, just a year after it warned Mr Osborne he was 'playing with fire' by refusing to abandon his austerity programme. The dramatic upgrade from a previous figure of 1.9 per cent puts Britain among the fastest-growing of the world's advanced economies. Latest employment figures also show that an extra 280,000 people had a job in the last three months - the largest quarterly increase since records began in the 1970s.
50% now expect economy to improve this year, 24% say it will get worse .
Net rating of +26 is highest since 28% in May 1997 when Labour won .
But Labour still leads in poll over all on 38% to Tories' 31% .
By . Matt Chorley, Mailonline Political Editor . PUBLISHED: . 12:29 EST, 6 February 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 15:29 EST, 6 February 2014 . Optimism about the Brititsh economy is now at its highest level since 1997, a new poll shows today. As the recovery gains momentum and growth powers ahead the rest of Europe, half of Brits expected things to improve this year while fewer than one in four expect it to get worse. In a major boost for the Tories, the improvement in the economy has fed through to better poll ratings for David Cameron. Prime Minister David Cameron, pictured visiting St Bridgeds Catholic primary school in Birmingham, has seen his poll ratings rise as the economy grows . Asked by IpsosMORI if what will happen to the ‘general economic condition of the country’ over the next 12 months, 50 per cent said improve and 24 per cent said it would get worse, a net result of +26 per cent. The last time the economic optimism rating was so high was in May 1997, when Tony Blair’s New Labour swept to power in a landslide general victory, when it stood at +28. The current rating is higher than anything seen during the Thatcher and Major governments. Overall Labour still has an overall lead . in the poll on 38 per cent, down one point, with the Tories on 31 per . cent, up one, and Lib Dems on 12 and Ukip 10. Do you think the economy will improve, get worse or stay the same? Gideon Skinner, Head of Political Research at Ipsos MORI said:  ‘Yet another surge in economic optimism to near-record levels has given David Cameron a personal boost for his stewardship of the economy, while after a difficult month for Nick Clegg his personal ratings have fallen - as have Nigel Farage’s. ‘And yet despite that the party shares – and Labour’s lead – have remained steady. ‘How these different trends play out together - especially as other issues come to the fore - is going to be key as we get closer to an election.’ Some 42 per cent of people now trust Mr Cameron more than the other party leaders to deal with managing the economy. By comparison just 20 per cent trust Labour leader Ed Miliband, 5 per cent Lib Dem Nick Clegg and 3 per cent Nigel Farage. It means Mr Cameron’s lead over Mr Miliband has lengthened to 22 points from 14 points in May last year. Mr Cameron now also has a 5 point lead over Mr Miliband on being trusted to deal with unemployment. New figures show the economy gre by 0.7 per cent in the last three months of 2013, the fourth quarter of growth in a row . During 35 years of polling by IpsosMori, economic optim9sm has only been higher when Tony Blair won a landslide for Labour in 1997 . The poll boost comes after a raft of positive economic news for the government. Britain's economy grew by 1.9 per cent in 2013, the fastest rate since the economic crash, according to the Offical for Natrional Statistics. The IMF last month revealed it now expects growth of in Britain 2.4 per cent in 2014, just a year after it warned Mr Osborne he was 'playing with fire' by refusing to abandon his austerity programme. The dramatic upgrade from a previous figure of 1.9 per cent puts Britain among the fastest-growing of the world's advanced economies. Latest employment figures also show that an extra 280,000 people had a job in the last three months - the largest quarterly increase since records began in the 1970s.
about the Brititsh economy is now at its highest to improve this year while fewer than one in four expect it to get worse. In a major boost for the worse, a net result of +26 per cent. The last in May 1997, when Tony Blair’s New Labour swept lead . in the poll on 38 per cent, down one