Support for National climbs

National continues to claw back Labour's lead, a new poll shows.

The One News/Colmar Brunton poll last night showed the gap between the two parties had closed to 5 per cent. Labour was on 44 per cent, down 3 from December, and National was on 39 per cent, up 4 per cent in the same period.

New Zealand First remained on 5 per cent, while the Greens were down 1 point to 4 per cent.

Act was also down 1 per cent to 2 per cent, while the Maori Party was up 1 to 2 per cent and United Future remained steady on 1 per cent.

The poll was taken after National leader Don Brash's attack on welfare during a speech at Orewa, and followed his dumping of welfare spokeswoman Katherine Rich, who was unable to endorse all aspects of his speech.

It also follows hits on the Government over 111 emergency calls and the NCEA scholarship controversy.

The poll, of 1000 voters, had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.2 per cent.

How they rate

* Labour 44
* National 39