Revealed: The leader Tory voters would prefer - Boris Johnson

Sympathy for the former prime minister despite partygate

Conservative leadership rivals Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak have suffered a new blow after polling showed Tory voters would prefer one candidate over either of them – Boris Johnson.

Support for the ousted Conservative leader was more than that for Ms Truss and Mr Sunak combined, YouGov found.

The findings will put pressure on whoever wins the keys to No 10 next month, with little over two years to go until the next general election.

Polling found nearly half of Tory supporters thought Johnson should remain as prime minister. Asked who would make the best PM, 20 per cent said Mr Sunak, and 18 per cent his rival Liz Truss, who is seen as the frontrunner.

Twelve per cent were undecided, while 49 per cent said that they would prefer Johnson to remain in Downing Street.

A series of focus groups reported by the Times newspaper also suggest trouble ahead for the next prime minister.

The soundings found support for Mr Johnson and a feeling he had been badly treated.

Richard, a plumber from Southampton Itchen, a marginal seat, said: "The others have not had to deal with everything he’s had to. He stepped straight in and it was Brexit and then it was Covid and now it’s the war in Ukraine. Everybody waffles on about, ‘He should have done this, he should have done that.’ But I’d like to see them in his shoes."

Ms Truss is widely expected to win the contest, the outcome of which will be announced on September 5. But the race has been a bruising one for the Conservative party. The sheer number of ‘blue on blue’ attacks in recent weeks are seen as a boon to Labour.

In the new prime minister’s in-tray will also be calls to get a grip on the cost of living crisis amid soaring energy and food bills.

The boss of a leading electricity and gas supplier has called for the next prime minister to be installed within days so they can grip the energy price crisis “for the good of the nation”.

Utilita chief Bill Bullen said the Conservatives should end the leadership contest early because consumers “cannot wait” another two weeks.