1 in 3 who voted Conservative in 2019 less likely to support candidate who backs Boris Johnson

One in three Conservative voters are less likely to support a local Conservative candidate if they back Boris Johnson, new Savanta ComRes polling suggests.

The figures released today show that 32% of people who voted Conservative at the last election are now less likely to support a candidate from the same party if they back Boris Johnson’s premiership.

Earlier this month Deltapoll published a survey of the 57 constituencies where historic Labour seats switched to the Conservative campaign to ‘get Brexit done’ in 2019. It found that Labour were averaging at 49 per cent and the Tories around just 33.

The new poll commissioned by the Liberal Democrats finds that four in ten (43%) of the public are less likely to vote Conservative at the next election if their Conservative candidate supports Boris Johnson as Prime Minister.

This figure rises to six in ten Labour voters (62%) and almost seven in ten (69%) of Liberal Democrat voters.

Savanta ComRes interviewed 2,140 British adults aged 18+ online between 14-16 January 2022. Data were weighted to be representative of the UK by age, sex, region and social grade.

Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats Daisy Cooper MP said: “The Sue Gray report will be judgement day for Tory MPs. Liberal Democrats are already in second place to dozens of Tory MPs across the country. It is now or never for Tory MPs to abandon Boris Johnson”

“If a Tory MP or candidate in the Blue Wall chooses to use the Sue Gray report outcome as a lame reason to back Boris Johnson, we will make sure their constituents know about it long before the next election”

“The stench of sleaze and scandal wafting off Boris Johnson has become unbearable for lifelong Tory voters who are now ready to back the Liberal Democrats in marginals spanning Cheadle to Cheltenham.

“Blue Wall voters want decency and integrity back in politics, which they can’t find in today’s Conservative party.”