Blow for Theresa May as public believe Boris Johnson would do better job of Brexit - new poll

Theresa May has been dealt a fresh blow as a new poll reveals that the public feel Boris Johnson is better placed to negotiate Brexit and lead the Tories into the next general election.



A YouGov poll for the Sunday Times found that just 16% of voters think the Prime Minister is handling Brexit well compared to 34% who believe Mr Johnson, the former foreign secretary, would do a better job.

In a further blow only 11% of voters said they would support Mrs May’s Chequers vision for Brexit in a new referendum and just 12% think it would be good for Britain. Some 43% disagree.

However, the poll also found that 58% of Tory voters believe the party leader should fight on compared to 32% who would like her to step down.

Labour lead the Tories by one-point on 39%, but if Mr Johnson was leader the parties would be neck and neck, according to the poll.

Meanwhile, senior Cabinet ministers are set to go on mini-tours of Europe over the summer to promote the Prime Minister’s vision for the UK’s future relationship with the EU, as she warned the “clock is ticking” to secure a deal.

The Prime Minister is also due to meet leaders in Austria, Estonia and the Czech Republic this week.

“We must step up the pace of negotiations and get on to deliver a good deal that will bring greater prosperity and security to both British and European citizens,” she said.

“We both know the clock is ticking – let’s get on with it.”

‘FAR RIGHT PARTY'

Elsewhere in the YouGov survey, it emerged that 38% would vote for a new party on the right that was committed to Brexit, and 24% would be prepared to back an explicitly anti-immigrant, anti-Islam party.

Around 33% would support a new anti-Brexit centrist party.

The Sunday Times reports that Tory donors and allies of Nigel Farage are fundraising to set up a new hard-Brexit party. The paper also reports that Lib Dem leader Sir Vince Cable was holding talks on the creation of a new centrist party when he missed a crucial Commons vote on Brexit last week.