Tories ‘get Boris bounce’: 10 per cent rise in support for Conservatives with Boris Johnson as leader, poll finds

The Conservative party has seen a so-called ‘Boris Bounce’ after the selection of Mr Johnson as prime minister, a poll reveals today.

Days after he became prime minister, support for the Conservatives surged by 10 points with 30 per cent of voters now stating they would back the Tories at an election, a survey by Deltapoll for the Mail on Sunday showed.

That puts them five points ahead of Labour at 25%, with the Liberal Democrats on 18% and the Brexit Party on 14%.

But if Labour was to drop Jeremy Corbyn as leader, the poll says the party would shoot into the lead at 34%, with the Tories on 28%, the Brexit Party on 14% and the Lib Dems on 13%.

The poll came as Mr Johnson set out an eye-catching domestic stall promising a £3.6 billion boost for left-behind towns.

Meanwhile, Chancellor Sajid Javid said there would be “significant extra funding” this week to get Britain “fully ready to leave” the EU on October 31, with or without a deal.

The additional spending will include financing one of the country’s “biggest ever public information campaigns” to ensure individuals and businesses are ready for a no-deal exit, Mr Javid told the Sunday Telegraph.

“Under my leadership, the Treasury will have new priorities and will play its full role in helping to deliver Brexit,” he said.

“In my first day in office as Chancellor, I tasked officials to urgently identify where more money needs to be invested to get Britain fully ready to leave on October 31 – deal or no deal.”

He added that he planned to fund 500 new Border Force officers and look at new infrastructure around the country’s ports to minimise congestion and ensure goods can flow.

The Sunday Times said Mr Johnson had put together a Brexit “war cabinet” of six key ministers and that the Government was tasked with delivering EU withdrawal on October 31 “by any means necessary”.

Michael Gove, the new Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster in charge of no-deal preparations in the Cabinet Office, said “the entire machinery of government will work flat-out” to prepare for no deal.

He wrote in the newspaper: “With a new Prime Minister, a new Government, and a new clarity of mission, we will exit the EU on October 31. No ifs. No buts. No more delays. Brexit is happening.”

Away from Brexit, Mr Johnson visited Manchester on Saturday to pledge funding for a new rail link between the city and Leeds.

He also promised action on housing and crime, despite insisting he was not preparing for a snap autumn election.

Mr Johnson said: “I want to be the PM who does with Northern Powerhouse Rail what we did with Crossrail in London.

“And today I am going to deliver on my commitment to that vision with a pledge to fund the Leeds to Manchester route.

“It will be up to local people and us to come to an agreement on the exact proposal they want – but I have tasked officials to accelerate their work on these plans so that we are ready to do a deal in the autumn.”

Downing Street said detailed plans regarding the proposed rail route will be published in the autumn, following a review of HS2.

The trans-Pennine route is expected to cut journey times and provide additional capacity for people across the region.

The Mail on Sunday poll also found that opinion was evenly divided on the question of whether Mr Johnson’s partner Carrie Symonds should live with him at Number 10.

While 33% backed such a move, the same number were opposed to it.

Asked how they would feel if Mr Johnson married their daughter, 57% said they would be sad, while 16% said they would be happy.

Other polls showed a similar boost in support for the Tories since Mr Johnson’s election as leader.