Gordon Brown will come out fighting today after a bruising week in which he appeared to be trailing badly behind David Cameron in the popularity stakes.

With only three weeks to go before the chancellor's 11th Budget on March 21, Mr Brown will trumpet Britain's resilience in the face of global pressures and will predict strong and balanced growth and a fall in inflation during the next 12 months.

Speaking to managers and workers at the Toyota factory near Derby, he will say: "Britain is now in the longest period of economic growth since the Second World War.

"Since 1997, we have become the most stable major economy in the world and we have risen from bottom of the rich nations in terms of wealth per head to second.

"Employment levels are at record highs - in the last year the UK has created over 23,000 jobs per month.

"With growth becoming stronger and more balanced, business investment rising and inflation set to fall, we have all the conditions in place for continued stable growth in the years ahead.

"We will never put that hard-won stability at risk, and we will continue making the necessary long-term investment in skills, education, jobs and innovation so we can compete ever more successfully in the global world."

Mr Brown's decision to take the gloves off coincides with a new poll to be released this week by Opinion Leader Research. From interviews with 100 individuals drawn from the City, company heads, the media and politics, Mr Brown has emerged as a more trustworthy figure than the Tory leader.

The poll found 87% of those questioned believed what Mr Brown said, compared with 58% for Mr Cameron. Asked if they felt the politicians had integrity, 82% backed Mr Brown with 59% backing the Tory leader.

Some 17% of those questioned said Mr Brown "lacks real substance", against 75% who thought the same of Mr Cameron, while 49% said the Chancellor "understands ordinary life", compared with 30% for the Tory leader.

Mr Brown won 46% support when the poll asked if they "would set this country in a better direction as PM", while Mr Cameron got 34%.

Vicki Cooke, joint chief executive of Opinion Leader Research, said: "This poll shows Brown's reputation is strong enough to shake off Cameron's attacks."

Mr Brown's camp, badly shaken by last week's ICM poll showing Mr Cameron was establishing a commanding lead amongst the electorate, will be relieved at these figures.

The Chancellor, who remains odds-on favourite to succeed Tony Blair when he steps down, may use the Budget to set out the priorities for his premiership.

As well as revealing his latest forecasts for the economy, he will indicate the priorities for the forthcoming comprehensive spending review.