Boris Johnson 'clear favourite to be next Tory leader'

Boris Johnson is the clear favourite to become the next Tory leader among the party’s grassroots members, according to a new poll.

The former foreign secretary is backed by 39 per cent of the Conservative membership, three times more than his nearest competitor - Dominic Raab on 13 per cent.

Mr Johnson announced his intention to run for leadership earlier in the week when he said “of course” he would make a bid when the time comes.

"I'm going to go for it. Of course I'm going to go for it," he said at a British Insurance Brokers' Association event in Manchester on Thursday.

"I don't think that is any particular secret to anybody."

Other leadership hopefuls to directly stake their claims include Commons leader Andrea Leadsom, who said she would seriously consider a bid, international development secretary Rory Stewart and former work and pensions secretary Esther McVey.

However, according to a YouGov poll for The Times, none of those featured among the clear favourites among the Tory grassroots.

Frontrunners Mr Johnson and Mr Raab were followed by home secretary Sajid Javid and environment secretary Michael Gove, both on nine per cent, then foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt on eight per cent.

Defence secretary Penny Mordaunt and the leader of the house, Ms Leadsom, are on five per cent, with Mr Stewart on four per cent and health secretary Matt Hancock on one.

YouGov interviewed 858 Conservative Party members between May 10 and 16.

The speculation comes amid pressure on Theresa May to announce her departure date, which she has said she will do following the fourth vote on her thrice defeated withdrawal agreement.

Following the final collapse of cross-party talks with Labour on Friday few at Westminster expect the bill to pass.

Regardless of the result, Mrs May has agreed to meet the chairman of the backbench 1922 Committee Sir Graham Brady after the second reading vote to agree a timetable for the election of her successor.

A defeat would heighten the pressure on her to depart Number 10 sooner. ​