Boris Johnson re-emerges as favourite to succeed Theresa May after resigning over her Chequers compromise on Brexit
Former foreign secretary garners almost a third of support from members in new poll – after being at just 8% before he stood down last month, pushing Sajid Javid down to second favourite
BORIS Johnson has re-emerged as the favourite to succeed Theresa May after he resigned over her Chequers compromise on Brexit.
The former foreign secretary got almost a third of support from members in a new poll – after being at just eight per cent before he stood down last month.
The survey by saw him push Sajid Javid down into second favourite, with Jacob Rees-Mogg in third place.
Mr Johnson, on 29 per cent, has a 10 point lead over the Home Secretary, fuelling speculation he will run for the party leadership now he has exited the Cabinet.
After he quit the MP for Uxbridge gave a speech to the House of Commons in which he did not directly challenge the Prime Minister.
But in pointed comments he said Mrs May’s Chequers compromise would leave the UK in a “miserable, permanent limbo” – warning it was “not too late to change course”.
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Mr Johnson’s strong poll results come as another survey of grassroots Tories reveals widespread anger at Mrs May’s Brexit plan.
The same website found the proportion of those who want the PM to resign immediately has more than doubled to 45 per cent since her white paper was published.
Meanwhile 36 per cent are urging her to go before the next election, and just 17.3 per cent back Mrs May’s plan to stay on and lead the party at the poll due in 2022.