Voters believe the Government has lost touch with ordinary people and overwhelmingly blame ministers for triggering panic-buying of petrol, according to an opinion poll today.
The ComRes poll for The Independent on Sunday and Sunday Mirror found almost three-quarters - 72% - said the coalition was "out of touch with ordinary people".
Four out of five of those questioned said that ministers had caused an unnecessary panic over the threat of a strike by tanker drivers.
The findings will make grim reading for David Cameron after a week in which ministers have come under sustained attack for the Budget, the fuel crisis, and Downing St dinners for wealthy donors.
The poll found 71% believed Chancellor George Osborne had been wrong to extend VAT to hot pies and pasties while 64% disagreed with the so-called "granny tax" - scrapping age-related allowances for the over-65s.
Meanwhile, a YouGov poll for the Sunday Times put the current state of the parties at 42% for Labour, up two on last week, and 33% for the Conservatives, down two from last week.
The Liberal Democrats are down one on 8% and other parties are on 17%, the survey found.