Boris shrugs off girlfriend row to stay on course for Number 10, shows new poll
Boris Johnson is still the firm favourite to become Prime Minister despite a bruising week in the Conservative leadership campaign.
Two-thirds of Tory party members - 65.52% - back Johnson for Number 10, according to the latest poll from Conservative Home.
Jeremy Hunt has closed the gap, but is still way back, polling at 30%.
Previously, Hunt was on 11%, a long way back from Johnson - but he is still seemingly too far back with Conservative party members to become PM.
The poll is a boost for Johnson who has suffered a poor week in the spotlight, after police were called to his girlfriend’s home following an apparent row with the would-be prime minister.
During the apparent altercation, The Guardian newspaper reported that Johnson could allegedly be heard saying "get off my f****** laptop" before a loud crashing noise.
Carrie Symonds, his girlfriend, could be heard telling him to "get off me" and "get out of my flat", the newspaper reported.
He was also accused by Hunt of being a “coward” for ducking policy debates.
But it all seems to have made little difference.
“Johnson’s vote may only have improved by three per cent from 62 per cent, compared to Hunt’s rise of 19 per cent from 11 per cent – but he still leads the Foreign Secretary by a whacking 36 points,” said Conservative Home.
“Johnson now has two-thirds of the total vote, 66 per cent, and remains set to win this election.
“As we suspected on Tuesday, his domestic row seems to have made next to no difference to his standing among activists.”
It had been suggested that Johnson’s approval ratings had suffered in the wake of the domestic disturbance.
One poll even put him behind Hunt.
However, a Sunday Telegraph-commissioned ComRes poll at the weekend, said Johnson had a 22-point lead.
However, more than half of Scottish voters would vote to leave the UK if Boris Johnson becomes prime minister, another poll suggested.
Hunt now has some three weeks to try and claw back the almost 36% deficit.
The new leader will be named on July 22.