UK business leaders became much more confident in Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg's during April, according to a poll by ComRes published today (Monday).

Between March and April, business confidence in the better known UK politicians picked up, but Clegg was the main beneficiary. Asked if they had confidence in Clegg, 41 per cent of the 170 chief executive officers and directors of the UK businesses said yes.

That rating is up from 20 per cent in March. Confidence in David Cameron rose to 65 per cent from 55 per cent of respondents, and in Gordon Brown to 28 per cent from 19 per cent.

Two early polls for the Sunday papers show the Lib Dem surge holding up following the Sun/YouGov poll last night with significantly growing support for a hung parliament.

Two other things of note:

(i) The surge may have been underway before the TV debates on Thursday (ICM)

(ii) Much of the new support seems to be coming from under 45s, who were previously unlikely to vote (ComRes).

ITV News at Ten is to ramp up its general election coverage by delivering an instant quantitative assessment of the TV Election Debates through a UK first in political polling.

Working with pollsters ComRes, ITV News at Ten will give viewers instant analysis of the impact that Gordon Brown, David Cameron and Nick Clegg have made on the electorate in the series of debates.