Boris Johnson would win back voters lost under Rishi Sunak and is still the preferred choice to replace him as leader, a new poll suggests.
The survey of 13,534 Conservative voters found that the former prime minister remains the most popular candidate to succeed Mr Sunak – beating ten senior Tories including Lord Cameron, Suella Braverman and Kemi Badenoch.
The study, which was commissioned by long-standing party supporter Lady McAlpine, found that just over half of those who voted Conservative in 2019, but who now intend to vote for a different party would vote for Mr Johnson again.
In comparison, just 39 per cent of those polled said they would vote for Mr Sunak over Labour leader Keir Starmer.
The latest study comes just weeks after a Tory bust-up over secretive polls, including the bombshell “Labour landslide” poll that warned of a Tory wipeout at the general election unless Mr Sunak was removed as leader. The research was commissioned by an anonymous group linked to Lord Frost and condemned by Lord Hayward who demanded tighter rules on polling ahead of a general election.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is facing calls from colleagues within his party to change direction (PA Wire)
The result also follow a difficult week for the PM as the Conservatives faced a double by-election drubbing and the country entered a technical recession.
On Friday, Labour snapped up two new seats in Wellingborough and Kingswood, achieving the second largest swing from Tory to Labour at any by-election since the Second World War.
The defeat has triggered calls from those within the party for the prime minister to “change course” and adopt more Conservative values, such as lower taxation, harsher immigration quotas and to rollback net zero targets.
The poll also asked voters about other Conservative figures, including Suella Braverman, the former home secretary, and Penny Mordaunt, the Commons Leader, who both received 23 per cent versus Sir Keir, with Priti Patel polling at 22 per cent and Ms Badenoch 19 per cent.
Some 45 per cent of 2019 Conservatives said that they could be persuaded to vote for the Tories again if Mr Sunak were not leader, while eighty per cent of “one-time Conservatives” agreed that the party would have a higher chance of winning if they had a leader who embraces “traditional Conservative values”.
According to the poll, Labour current has a 22-point lead to the Tories, who are on 20 per cent, 13 per cent for Reform and 10 per cent for the Liberal Democrats.
The latest poll has given Keir Starmer a 22-point over the Conservatives (PA Wire)
Whitestone Insight, who ran the poll, said that “replacing Rishi Sunak” could mean “the difference between wipeout, noble defeat, or possibly even somehow clinging on to power.”
Lady McAlpine said that she believed that a Tory victory would be possible should Boris Johnson lead a “new squeaky clean Conservative Party”.
She told the Telegraph: “If we have the brains, they’re not evident and that’s because the personality is not there, the charisma is not there. To be a leader, you have to have enormous charisma to be a good leader.”
She added: “It doesn’t matter where Boris goes in the world. People like him and therefore listen to him. They don’t like you, they don’t listen to you.”
Mr Johnson left parliament last year after he was found to have wilfully misled MPs about his role in the partygate scandal.
The former prime minister had been forced to resign over his handling of the scandal and was then forced out following an excoriating parliamentary report into his conduct.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has remained positive in spite of the difficult by-election results, having admitted the results were “particularly challenging” but has insisted “our plan is working” and he can “give everyone the piece of mind that there is a better future for them and their families”.
From news to politics, travel to sport, culture to climate – The Independent has a host of free newsletters to suit your interests. To find the stories you want to read, and more, in your inbox, click here.
News Related
-
Asylum seekers travel in an inflatable boat across the English Channel, bound for Dover on the south coast of England (Photo: Ben Stansall/AFP) Up to 40 Conservative MPs are poised to rebel over Rishi Sunak’s Rwanda deportation policy as they question ministers’ commitment to the scheme. A major row is ...
See Details:
Up to 40 Tory MPs ‘set to rebel’ if Sunak’s Rwanda plan doesn’t override ECHR
-
In the saltmarsh fringing where the Ballyboe River dissolves into Trawbreaga Bay, a little egret wears its plumage like a windblown stole. Our car swoops across the 10 arches of Malin bridge and we park along the village green. Malin is almost as far north as you can get on ...
See Details:
Country diary: A tale of three churches
-
Photograph: Chris Ratcliffe/EPA Hampton Court is an enduring monument to the power of Henry VIII, a pleasure palace down the Thames from Westminster and the City of London. On Monday it was the scene of power projection of a different kind, as Rishi Sunak pitched for investment from some of ...
See Details:
Sunak woos business elite with royal welcome – but they seek certainty
-
-
Tottenham interested in move to sign “fearless” £20m defender in January Tottenham Hotspur have joined the race to bring an overseas defender to the Premier League in January, according to a fresh report. Postecoglou’s centre-back options The Lilywhites currently have Micky Van De Ven, Ashley Phillips, Cristian Romero and Eric ...
See Details:
Tottenham interested in move to sign “fearless” £20m defender in January
-
A £100m campaign urging households and businesses to use less water will be funded from customers’ bills, Ofwat has said. Bill payers to stump up cost of £100m water usage campaign The regulator’s chief executive David Black told MPs that if the measures worked it would be cheaper than building ...
See Details:
Bill payers to stump up cost of £100m water usage campaign
-
FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football – FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023 – Group B – Canada Training – Olympic Park, Melbourne, Australia – July 24, 2023 Canada’s Christine Sinclair during training REUTERS/Hannah Mckay/File Photo (Reuters) – BC Place in Vancouver, British Columbia, will be renamed “Christine Sinclair ...
See Details:
Soccer-Venue renamed 'Christine Sinclair Place' for Canada soccer great's final game
-
Michael van Gerwen is hunting down a fourth World Championship title (Picture: Getty Images) Michael van Gerwen is Phil Taylor’s tip to lift the World Darts Championship trophy for a fourth time in January, expecting a backlash from the recent defeat in the Players Championship Finals. The 2024 World Championship ...
See Details:
Phil Taylor makes his pick for 2024 World Darts Championship winner
-
Michael van Gerwen is hunting down a fourth World Championship title (Picture: Getty Images) Michael van Gerwen is Phil Taylor’s tip to lift the World Darts Championship trophy for a fourth time in January, expecting a backlash from the recent defeat in the Players Championship Finals. The 2024 World Championship ...
See Details:
Soccer-Howe aims to boost Newcastle's momentum in PSG clash
-
Michael van Gerwen is hunting down a fourth World Championship title (Picture: Getty Images) Michael van Gerwen is Phil Taylor’s tip to lift the World Darts Championship trophy for a fourth time in January, expecting a backlash from the recent defeat in the Players Championship Finals. The 2024 World Championship ...
See Details:
Hamilton heads for hibernation with a word of warning
-
Michael van Gerwen is hunting down a fourth World Championship title (Picture: Getty Images) Michael van Gerwen is Phil Taylor’s tip to lift the World Darts Championship trophy for a fourth time in January, expecting a backlash from the recent defeat in the Players Championship Finals. The 2024 World Championship ...
See Details:
Carolina Panthers fire head coach Frank Reich after 1-10 start to the season
-
Michael van Gerwen is hunting down a fourth World Championship title (Picture: Getty Images) Michael van Gerwen is Phil Taylor’s tip to lift the World Darts Championship trophy for a fourth time in January, expecting a backlash from the recent defeat in the Players Championship Finals. The 2024 World Championship ...
See Details:
This exercise is critical for golfers. 4 tips to doing it right
-
Michael van Gerwen is hunting down a fourth World Championship title (Picture: Getty Images) Michael van Gerwen is Phil Taylor’s tip to lift the World Darts Championship trophy for a fourth time in January, expecting a backlash from the recent defeat in the Players Championship Finals. The 2024 World Championship ...
See Details:
One in three households with children 'will struggle to afford Christmas'
-
OTHER NEWS
Kobbie Mainoo made his first start for Man Utd at Everton (Photo: Getty) The Football Association are reportedly confident that Manchester United starlet Kobbie Mainoo will choose to represent England ...
Read more »
Michael Smith will begin the defence of his world title on the opening night (Picture: Getty Images) The 2024 World Darts Championship is less than three weeks away and the ...
Read more »
For the first time a long haul commercial aircraft is flying across the Atlantic using 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). A long haul commercial flight is flying to the US ...
Read more »
The King has met business and finance leaders from across the world at a Buckingham Palace reception to mark the conclusion of the UK’s Global Investment Summit. Charles was introduced ...
Read more »
After Ohio State’s 30-24 loss to Michigan Saturday, many college football fans were wondering where Lou Holtz was. In his postgame interview after the Buckeyes beat Notre Dame 17-14 in ...
Read more »
Darius Slay wouldn’t have minded being penalized on controversial no-call No matter which team you were rooting for on Sunday, we can all agree that the officiating job performed by ...
Read more »
New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones (10) Quarterback Mac Jones remains committed to finding success with the New England Patriots even though his future is up in the air following ...
Read more »