William Hague has insisted there is all to play for in the Rochester and Strood by-election after another poll suggested that Ukip was stretching its lead and were poised to win on November 20.

Mr Hague visited the Medway Messenger office today, accompanied by the Conservative candidate Kelly Tolhurst.

With just weeks to go before the crucial by-election, Mr Hague downplayed the latest opinion poll by Survation giving the Ukip candidate Mark Reckless a significant lead.

He said polls often proved unreliable indicators of support for the different parties and drew on his own experience when he first stood for Parliament for his seat of Crosby and the polls were not remotely accurate about the outcome.

Asked if the party could still win, he said: "Yes, we can. Opinion polls are notoriously inaccurate in by-elections, they were in the Scotland referendum and were in the alst general election."

"People have to make their own decision, whatever the opinion polls say. It is the people of Rochester and Strood casting their vote that matters. The more time I spend here, the more I see of Kelly Tolhurst, the more I can see she would be the right champion for this area. I am very upbeat about this campaign."

He said Ukip was assuming people would be voting for them. "Voters should not be taken for granted by any party....you see a bit of that in the Mark Reckless campaign."

Meanwhile, Labour was sending down its health spokesman Andy Burnham, who was expected to commit the party to repealing legislation it believes would lead to greater privatisation.

Labour would also remove the right of hospitals to earn up to 49% of their income from treating private patients.