New PM must now seize opportunities of Brexit, Tories say

THE next Prime Minister must better exploit the opportunities offered by Brexit, Tory voters have said.

A poll of Conservative members has revealed three quarters of Tory voters want the next leader to grow Britain’s export and international trade markets.

The survey by the Global Britain Commission – a body made up of bosses from the corporate world including Virgin Atlantic, Heathrow, EY, Mace and Forth Ports – also shows more than a third of members believe Boris Johnson did not do enough to boost Britain’s international profile after leaving the European Union.

It comes as in a recent essay, former chief Brexit negotiator Lord Frost said the new leader must ‘exploit the free hand’ and ‘autonomy’ that Brexit has given the nation to create a new national strategy.

In a blistering attack on the Prime Minister, the peer said Boris Johnson had failed to deliver on the ‘mood change’ the country was expecting when it voted to leave the EU.

He said: ‘In short we have statist economics, green politics, an overmighty government, and extreme reluctance to contemplate where this might be taking us. Not surprisingly, we are well on the road to a much more collectivist society.’

Lord Frost continued: ‘People voted for change and any politically successful strategy must deliver it,’ adding that the expected ‘Brexit revolt’ against the established way of running the country had not materialised.

The latest poll asked Tory voters how strongly they agree or disagree with the statement: ‘The Boris Johnson government has taken advantage of the opportunities of Brexit’.

Just two in five people, around 38 per cent, agreed, suggesting they were pleased with the work of the incumbent Prime Minister in delivering on key Brexit pledges.

Meanwhile 33 per cent said they disagreed that Mr Johnson had taken full advantage of what Brexit could offer the country. The remaining respondents said they were either ‘neutral’ or did not know.

They also asked: ‘How strongly do you agree or disagree with the following statement: ‘the “new” government (ie. the Conservative one after Boris Johnson steps down) should give business support to succeed abroad with securing investment and trade?’ Almost 75 per cent of people said they either somewhat or strongly agreed that the next person in Number 10 should push for more Brexit advantages and dividends.