Boris Johnson's lead among Tory voters more than halved amid domestic row scrutiny
2 min read
Tory leadership frontrunner Boris Johnson’s lead among Conservative voters has plummeted in the wake of a high-profile row with his partner.
In a blow to the former foreign secretary, his 27-point lead was slashed to 11 when Tory voters were asked who would make the best Prime Minister - while rival Jeremy Hunt is now three points ahead among the general public.
Police were called to the home Mr Johnson shares with his girlfriend Carrie Symonds on Friday morning after neighbours complained about a noisy altercation.
Mr Johnson ducked questions about the row at a hustings on Saturday.
But a poll conducted for the Mail on Sunday suggests it has damaged his chances of seizing the Conservative leadership.
Polling carried out on Thursday before the incident saw 55% of Conservative voters pick Mr Johnson as the best prime minister, compared to 28% for rival Mr Hunt.
But a fresh poll carried out on Saturday shows a sharp drop in support, with 45% of Tory voters saying he would make the best PM, compared to 34% for Mr Hunt.
Among wider voters, 32% said Mr Hunt would make the country's best leader - three points ahead of Mr Johnson on 29%.
Mr Johnson's score among the wider public has fallen seven points since Thursday, while Mr Hunt's has climbed by four percent.
However, a separate study for the Sunday Telegraph shows that Mr Johnson continues to surge ahead with the party's grassroots.
According to pollster ComRes, 61% of Conservative councillors back his leadership bid, compared to 39% in favour of Mr Hunt.
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