Boris Johnson would lose seat in general election 'wipeout' for Tories, poll suggests

Boris Johnson is currently on course to lose his seat at the next general election, a poll has suggested.

Carried out last month at the height of the Downing Street lockdown parties scandal, and published in the Sunday Times, the poll hints at the extent of the damage caused by "Partygate" to the Conservative Party.

The survey, run by James Johnson, ex-prime minister Theresa May's pollster, suggested a "wipeout" in which Johnson's Tories currently stand to win their lowest number of seats – 201 – in a general election since 2005.

Labour would win 352 seats, the poll suggested, giving leader Sir Keir Starmer a small majority of 14.

Going into the 2019 election, Johnson's majority of 5,034 in his Uxbridge and South Ruislip seat was one of the lowest ever for a sitting PM, though it rose to 7,120 in the event.

The seat has previously been heavily targeted by Labour and the latest polling would encourage the party to do so again should Johnson – who has appointed election strategist David Canzini to help try and repair his reputation – still be PM when the next election is held.

As well as Johnson, half his current cabinet members would lose their seats, the poll suggested.

Those projected to lose their seats include defence secretary Ben Wallace, transport secretary Grant Shapps and COP26 president Alok Sharma.

Watch: Leaked 'Partygate probe questionnaire' for Downing Street staff revealed

Meanwhile, 55 of 65 "red wall" MPs – Tory candidates who won in traditionally Labour-supporting areas, driving Johnson's stunning 2019 landslide victory – would also be voted out.

In an ominous sign for Johnson, the poll found Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak, considered the leading contenders to take over his job, are more popular than him in every seat in the country.

Meanwhile, Johnson's name was cited as the biggest reason for hesitation to vote Tory among swing voters.

James Johnson, who conducted the survey of 4,500 voters, wrote on Twitter: "There is a seismic shift away from the Tories and towards Labour."

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He added: "Are we saying this level of Tory wipeout is going to be the result in 2024? No. The gap will narrow in an actual election, Labour still has huge weaknesses.

"But although the news may move on from Partygate, the Tory brand damage has all the signs of being long-lasting."

The Met Police is currently probing 12 alleged gatherings held across Whitehall and Downing Street on eight dates during coronavirus restrictions, with the PM alleged to have attended six of them.