Next Tory Leader. Our Survey. Johnson dominates the table. He puts on ten points and leads by eighteen.

Here are Johnson’s last eleven scores in reverse order: 22 per cent, 25 per cent, 26 per cent, 27 per cent, 24 per cent, 19 per cent, 30 per cent, 35 per cent, 29 per cent, 7 per cent and 9 per cent.

Those last two ratings are from before he quit as Foreign Secretary in the wake of the Chequers proposals on Brexit. So it isn’t hard to see what is happening here.

Essentially, his resignation catapulted him to the front of the queue as the main Conservative opponent of Theresa May’s EU policy. And the worse she does, the more he thrives.

The postponement of Brexit, the talks with Jeremy Corbyn, the return of Nigel Farage, the looming European elections, the sense of drift and paralysis…all these have bumped him up to his highest total since last August.

Note that he is not being punished in the poll for backing the Prime Minister’s deal third time round. Dominic Raab drifts down by four points and Michael Gove back to single figures.

It is a paradox that this finding, and reports elsewhere of rising support for Johnson among MPs, may actually help May just a little. If pro-Soft Brexit and Remain Tory MPs think deposing her will land them with him, they are likely to rally round her.

But does he hold his lead in run-offs against other main contenders? Read more about that on this site tomorrow.