Nigel Farage is the second most popular choice among Conservative Party councillors to be the next Tory leader, a new poll has found.

Only Boris Johnson is more popular than the leader of The Brexit Party with Mr Farage ahead of frontrunner candidates including Michael Gove, Jeremy Hunt, Sajid Javid and Dominic Raab.

Mr Johnson, the former foreign secretary and prominent Brexiteer, was backed by 19 per cent of Tory councillors as the best option to take over from Theresa May when the field included Mr Farage.

The former Ukip leader was supported by 15 per cent of the 781 Tory councillors polled by Survation between April 17 and 19.

The findings are likely to prompt a moment of reflection among the candidates in the running to succeed Mrs May because the Tory grassroots will have the final say on who is chosen.

The fact that Mr Farage came second in the poll - and Mr Johnson came first - suggests the Tory grassroots are ready to elect a “true” Eurosceptic leader.