Currently have a claud Butler Shaman pro which i've got a Panaracer fire xc pro 26 x 2.1 on the back and the original Tioga 26 x 2.1 on the front.

The front Tioga blew out when i was out on Saturday so need to replace with new.

Would anyone say that a bigger tyre on the fron is better or just stick to the 2.1's?

Whether bigger is better depends on the riding you do. If your current tyre performed well in the conditions in which you ride, why buy a bigger, heavier one?

conditions are not likely to improve over the next few months, so stick with a 2.1
bear in mind that some 2.1s are bigger than other 2.3s

but to answer your question, i have 2.35 bonty big earl wets on my full suss.

I've got 2.25" Nobby Nic on the front and a 2.1" Racing Ralph on the back at the moment.

Once it gets a bit wetter I'll more than likely go to a 2.1" Nobby Nic or Little Albert on the back.

Specialized Stumpjumper 120mm here, with Schwalbe Nobby Nics 2.1 front and back, and have happily ridden around all sorts of stuff in the UK and the alps on them.
Tried a 2.25er at the front for a while, but going back now to 2.1. Can't say I noticed a significant enough grip difference with the bigger tyre.

i'm currently running a pair of maxxis 2.3 ignitors which are good all round performing tyres. i also run a pair of panaracer fire fr 2.4 on my other bike. the maxxis dont look like 2.3 but the panaracers do look their size and then some!!
having said that both pairs ride brilliantly for the type or riding that i do.
what tyres you choose will be influenced by a number of factors:
the type of riding you do
the type of terrain you will be riding on,
are the tyres expected to be used seasonally or all year round,
what your budget is,
tyre compound and tread pattern of the tyre and wether it's suitable for the terrain,
tyre size and weight,
tyre clearance issues on the frame and forks.

maxxis have a good range of tyres for most types of riding. the swamp thing is a good all round tyre so ong as its in the harder compound as the soft compound tends to wear out pretty quickly.
also see if you can find anyone still stocking nokian tyres as they are also worth a look especially the gazzaloddi range