text: With just 26 days until the election, the Prime Minister is already showing the strain of a punishing campaign trail. At a visit to the Age UK in Plymouth yesterday, David Cameron appeared weary with bags under his eyes and disheveled hair. In one day this week the Tory leader travelled to all all four home nations in his bid to secure votes ahead of the May 7 election. Scroll down for video . Showing the strain: At a visit to the Age UK in Plymouth yesterday, David Cameron appeared weary with bags under his eyes and disheveled hair . He has also had to wade into a number of arguments, defending outspoken ministers, and even got into a muddle over cream teas. On Thursday Mr Cameron was been forced to defend Michael Fallon after the defence secretary claimed Ed Miliband would stab Britain’s national interest in the back in the same way he did his brother to gain the Labour leadership. The Prime Minister was also dealt a blow as Ed Miliband overtook him as the most popular political leader for the first time. In a shock result that sent shockwaves through Downing Street, the Labour leader jumped ahead of the Prime Minister in personal approval ratings. Not impressed: Six-year-old Lucy Howarth looked positively uninterested as the Prime Minister read a story at Sacred Heart Primary School near Bolton earlier this week . The Labour Party also took a commanding four point lead over the Tories, according to the pollsters Survation. On Wednesday, Mr Cameron failed to get the desired response from a six-year-old schoolgirl who looked positively uninterested as he read a story to her classmates at Sacred Heart Primary School near Bolton. Yesterday, another campaign gaffe saw Mr Cameron wade into the Cornwall Devon debate about how to eat a scone - getting the two counties contrasting traditions mixed up. The Tory leader has spent the day campaigning in Devon, where he must win several seats if he is to stand any chance of winning a majority. But his hopes of courting support in the county were given a knock with his food faux pas as he chatted with staff and customers of Tea by the Taw on The Strand in Barnstaple, the North Devon Gazette reported. David Cameron, on a visit to Devon this morning, made the blunder of confusing the two methods for eating a cream tea . All good politicians know how to make small talk with voters, but the jam and cream debate is no trifling matter. In an attempt to woo the locals, Mr Cameron ventured: 'When you are in Devon you do the jam and the cream in a different order to Cornwall, is that right?' Sensing a gaffe was imminent, he went on: 'I'm going to get this wrong, aren't I?' His prediction was correct, as he added: 'In Devon it's... jam first and cream on top?' His comments were greeted with silence and stony faces, as the staff realised someone was going to have to put the Prime Minister right.
target: PM appeared weary with bags under eyes at event in Plymouth yesterday .
  In one day PM visited all four home nations in bid to secure votes .
  Turbulent week also saw Ed Miliband overtake him as most popular leader .