Boost for Johnson in the first CON membership poll since TMay announced her exit timetable
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New YouGov poll of Tory members for @thetimes puts @BorisJohnson well out in front
(Though he is also bottom choice for a sizeable group)– Johnson would prefer not to be frontrunner
– Raab in strong position
– Poor HancockLoads more detail: https://t.co/HjTbrKZmS4 pic.twitter.com/MUQ5Ij1cS9
— Matt Chorley (@MattChorley) May 17, 2019
His biggest hurdle’s still getting through the MPs round
Quick off the mark we now have the first YouGov poll of CON members following the news that TMay agreed her exit timetable.
The poll was slightly different from the standard. Members who formed the sample were not asked who they would vote for but rather were presented with a list of nine names and asked to rank them. The outcome is in the Times Tweet above.
Sure Johnson is at the top, no surprise there, but quite a significant part of the sample rated him bottom. If the outcome is Boris as CON leader and PM he’ll be heading a divided party. We haven’t seen the full poll detail yet but I wonder how many would have rated him at the bottom if fellow Etonian, Rory Stewart, had not been on the list.
It does say something about the current party that the two names at the bottom both had the same educational background.
The first challenge, though, for Mr. Johnson is getting though the MP rounds of voting and here we have little data though I’ve no doubt that will be forthcoming.
In the betting Johnson is still favourite but has edged down a touch.
Mike Smithson