Poll: If Boris can’t lead let’s have dishy Rishi

CHANCELLOR Rishi Sunak is the choice of voters to run the country if Boris Johnson becomes too ill, an exclusive poll for The Mail on Sunday has found.

The endorsement comes after the Prime Minister revealed on Friday that he had tested positive for coronavirus.

While Downing Street has indicated t hat Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab will take the reins if Mr Johnson is incapacitated, the Deltapoll survey shows that Mr Sunak – dubbed ‘dishy Rishi’ by his Treasury colleagues – is backed as a stand-in premier by more than three times as many voters.

Mr Johnson’s approach to the crisis receives overwhelming backing, with 78 per cent saying that he is handling it well.

However, that does not mean voters agree with the pace of impleme n t a t i o n o f Mr J o h n s o n ’s lockdown measures.

A total of 63 per cent think that the social distancing rules were introduced too late.

On the controversial issue of testing, 83 per cent believe that doctors and nurses should be given priority but just 19 per cent think that senior politicians should be prioritised – and only 15 per cent think the Royal Family should.

Most people also think that Britain is in for a long haul, with half of those questioned expecting restrictions to be in place for three months. And a majority think that tackling the outbreak is worth curtailing civil l i berties, with 61 per cent agreeing that it is a necessary price.

Just 6 per cent of people think the economy will recover within the next year, while 57 per cent think working life will change for ever.

The survey also found a third of people had failed to follow social distancing measures.

In terms of stockpiling at supermarkets, those aged 18 to 24 were the most guilty, with a third admitting to panic-buying. The study also found overwhelming support for tougher lockdown measures and formal rationing in supermarkets, with 77 per cent in favour.