Boris Johnson pulls Tories ahead of Labour in poll in first week as PM

The Tories are surging in the polls thanks to a so-called ‘Boris bounce’.

Since Boris Johnson became Prime Minister the Conservatives have gained 10 points to stand at 30 per cent, a survey by Deltapoll for the Mail on Sunday showed.

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

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

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.’

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