Theresa May has lost the support of three in ten voters who supported her in the general election but people are not enthused by any of her potential rivals, according to a poll.
A YouGov poll for WPI Strategy, a consultancy, found 69 per cent of people who voted for the Conservative Party in the 2017 general election think Mrs May should continue as prime minister, with 18 per cent saying that she should stand down and let someone else takeover. The rest did not know.
Across all voters, 41 per cent said she should remain in position while 34 per cent said she should step down, with one in four voters saying they didn’t know.
This is a similar level of support that she had at the start of November last year when YouGov asked the same question, when 42 per cent of people responding that she should continue as leader compared with 32 per cent who disagreed.
People who voted to leave the EU in the referendum are more supportive of Mrs May to stay in post (49 per cent, compared to 32 per cent who want her to go) than those who voted to Remain who are evenly split on the question (37 per cent to 38 per cent).
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When asked about other potential leaders who could replace the prime minister, the public were not enthralled by the prospect of any of the alternatives, with Boris Johnson the most divisive candidate.
The poll shows that while 11 per cent might be more likely to vote Conservative with Mr Johnson in charge, 20 per cent would be less likely to vote for the party.
Nick Faith, Director, WPI Strategy, said: “The results of this poll clearly show that, on the whole, the public – and certainly those who voted for the Conservative at the last election – would rather see Theresa May remain as prime minister for the moment.”
“However difficult it may be for an incumbent government to offer an agenda of renewal both domestically and on the international stage, that is the challenge facing the prime minister and her colleagues.”
The poll of 1,669 people took place between January 28-29.