New 16 point Tory poll lead for Theresa May will increase the temptation for a snap General Election

A MASSIVE new 16 point Tory poll lead for Theresa May will increase the temptation for the new PM to call a snap General Election and wipe out the Labour Party.

Just 13 days into Mrs May’s Premiership, a new ICM poll shows the Tories would take 43 per cent in an election held tomorrow — their highest rating since October 2009.

Labour are heading to their worst defeat since 1935, on just 27 per cent — which would cost them 43 Commons seats.

Such a result would replicate the 1983 General Election —where Maggie Thatcher won her landslide and hard-left Labour leader Michael Foot was reduced to a rump.

In 1983, the Tories took 42.4 per cent of votes to Labour’s 27.6 per cent.

The new PM has ruled out an election before 2020 but will face heavy pressure to go to the country early if her numbers continue to rise.

The research conducted between July 22 and 24 — during Mrs May’s first few days on the job — gave the new government an immediate four point boost.

The ICM poll of around 2,000 people showed Ukip as the third force in British politics on 13 per cent, the Lib Dems on eight per cent and the SNP and Green Party on four per cent each.

However Labour slumped two points as bitter infighting plagued the party, and their leadership election row hit the High Court.

Polling expert Martin Boon said last night that “the relative calm associated with the handover of power from David Cameron to Theresa May, allied to the current Labour leadership challenge weighs heavily on electors’ minds”.

The ICM boss added: “Until Labour gets its house to order we’re likely to see more polls of this nature.”

But Anthony Wells — another top polling expert — warned that there are “good reasons for Theresa May not to plan for an early election.”

He said last night: “New Prime Ministers receive good poll ratings because they haven’t had to annoy too many people yet – the public can project their hopes onto them and convince themselves they really will be different, really will deliver this, that or the other.”

He added: “Before long, however, the shine will come off and they’ll have to start making compromises and disappointing people.”

Labour MP Bill Esterson tweeted: “We are 16 per cent behind the Tories. We need to appeal to ordinary voters as well as members, whoever is leader.”

And MP Tom Blenkinsop posted: “Tories have a 16 point lead over Labour.

“Time to wake up.

“Corbyn is the worst leader Labour has ever had.”

Nic Dakin, who quit as a shadow education minister alongside more than 60 colleagues last month, tweeted: “Oh dear! Time to unite behind a new leader who can take the fight to the Tories in the interests of the people.”

And Barrow MP John Woodcock tweeted: “Those who claim Jeremy Corbyn can stay and avoid a Tory landslide are in danger of aping the ‘Bernie Or Bust’ die-hards who’d let in Trump.”

Tory Party chairman Patrick McLoughlin did not completely rule out an early election but played down the idea when he appeared on BBC’s The Andrew Marr Show last Sunday.

He said: “It’s very difficult to have an early General Election with the Fixed Parliaments Act in place, but we have elections every year.

“We have county council elections – those are what I’m turning my attention to, those are the next elections on the domestic scene.”

On the back of Labour’s polling numbers, Ukip leadership contender Steven Woolfe told a rally in Manchester last night that he wanted to “park Ukip’s tanks on Labour’s lawn”.

The favourite to replace Brexit boss Nigel Farage promised to give a “voice to those who have been left behind”.