Poll ‘ bounce’ gives PM lead over Labour

THE Tories have been given a major poll boost from Boris Johnson’s move into Downing Street.

Four polls yesterday revealed a ‘Boris bounce’, prompting speculation about an early election.

A Deltapoll survey put Tory support up by ten points to 30 per cent. The same poll, for The Mail on Sunday, had Labour on 25, the Lib Dems on 18 and the Brexit Party down ten points on 14.

However, it suggested Labour would take a six-point lead if the party ditched Jeremy Corbyn as leader.

An Opinium survey suggested Mr Johnson’s arrival last week had resulted in a seven-point bounce, while ComRes put the Boris effect at three points.

Meanwhile, a YouGov poll for The Sunday Times found Mr Johnson had delivered a six-point boost, putting the Tories ten points ahead of Labour. The polls suggested Mr Johnson’s pledge to deliver Brexit by the end of October had helped squeeze support for Nigel Farage’s Brexit Party.

A senior Government source yesterday ruled out holding an election before then. ‘The polls don’t make any difference,’ they said. ‘We have to deliver by October 31 then we can see where we are.’

Mr Johnson’s senior adviser Dominic Cummings is also said to have ruled out a snap election in direct terms when he held a briefing for Government aides last week. However, a Cabinet source acknowledged that an election could be held soon after October 31, possibly even in December, to secure a Tory majority.

Mr Johnson is reported to have told staff he wants a renewed focus on winning back donors in the hope of amassing a £40 million election war chest.

New Tory co-chairmen James Cleverly and entrepreneur Ben Elliot have been tasked with ‘upsizing and upskilling’ Tory campaign HQ.