Boris Johnson has put the Tories in an election war footing – as a poll found voters believe he can win back Eurosceptics and defeat Corbyn.
The leadership favourite fuelled rumours of an early ballot by telling a hustings event he would ‘get Brexit done and get ready for an election’.
The dramatic vow came as a survey found 47 per cent of the public think he can defeat Labour and Nigel Farage – while just 22 per cent think he would lose.
His ratings are way ahead of other leadership contenders such as Jeremy Hunt and Michael Gove.
However, in a worrying sign for Mr Johnson’s supporters, nearly six in 10 said he was not the kind of man they would buy a used car from.
The scale of the challenge he faces was also underlined with the YouGov research showing that overall the Brexit Party is still leading on 24 per cent – three points of both the Conservatives and Labour.
Mr Johnson goes into the second week of the Tory campaign the red-hot favourite to succeed Theresa May, having racked up support from 114 MPs in the first ballot – more than his next three rivals combined.
A YouGov poll found 47 per cent of the public think Boris Johnson can defeat Labour and Nigel Farage – while just 22 per cent think he would lose
Mr Johnson fuelled rumours of an early ballot by telling a hustings event he would ‘get Brexit done and get ready for an election. He is pictured arriving at the event in London yesterday
However, the other candidates are insisting they will not be withdrawing to give him a clear run.
He is also facing mounting criticism over his reluctance to face media scrutiny amid concerns among his aides he could throw away his seemingly unassailable lead.
He has snubbed the first television debate being staged tonight by Channel 4 – with the broadcaster saying they will ’empty chair’ him.
But Mr Johnson has indicated he will participate in a BBC debate on Tuesday when the number of contenders will have been further whittled down.
Asked in the youGov poll for the Sunday Times which of the Tory hopefuls could win an election, Mr Johnson scored considerably ahead of Jeremy Hunt, his successor at the Foreign Office.
Just 15 per cent thought he could win, with Sajid Javid on 14 per cent.
Mr Gove was even further back on 12 per cent and Dominic Raab and Rory Stewart were on 8 per cent.
Mr Johnson also topped the ranking on who would do handle Brexit best.
Some 27 per cent said he would do a good job, Mr Raab and Mr Hunt rated at 10 per cent and Mr Gove and Mr Javid 9 per cent.
But Johnson is also seen as the most divisive contender, with just 22 per cent believing he can unite the nation – against 48 per cent who say he would divide it.
Asked in the youGov poll for the Sunday Times which of the Tory hopefuls could win an election, Mr Johnson scored considerably ahead of Jeremy Hunt (pictured at the Tory hustings in London yesterday)
Just 13 per cent said they would buy a used car from the former foreign secretary, while 59 per cent said they would not.
Mr Hunt, who was a distant second in the first round, insisted he had still not given up hope of winning in the final postal ballot of party members.
‘I am the insurgent in this race,’ he told The Mail on Sunday.
‘I am in it to win it because we have to give the country better choices given the crisis that we’re in now.’
Mr Gove – who came back from disclosures over his past cocaine use to finish third – described himself as the ‘Chumbawamba candidate’, a reference to the band’s hit Tubthumping, with the lyric ‘I get knocked down but I get up again’.
Nevertheless, the Environment Secretary sought to extend an olive branch to Mr Johnson after scuppering his last leadership bid in 2016, saying he would be happy to serve under him if he succeeded this time.
‘I would absolutely work with Boris in any way that he wanted to work with me. No question. It is a different time requiring a different approach,’ he told The Sunday Times.
Home Secretary Sajid Javid also said he believed he could make it through to challenge Mr Johnson in the final ballot, despite having only finished fifth the first-round vote of MPs.
Home Secretary Sajid Javid (pictured at the Tory hustings yesterday) said he believed he could make it through to challenge Mr Johnson in the final ballot, despite having only finished fifth the first-round vote of MPs
‘It’s now almost certain that Boris will go through the MP rounds and has a lot of support with party members,’ he tweeted.
‘But I’m also sensing a growing appetite for a robust final round.
‘I believe the best contest would be a positive debate between two change candidates. I have the background, experience and vision to give people a proper choice.’
Meanwhile, there was growing alarm among pro-European Tories at the prospect Mr Johnson takes Britain out of the EU on October 31, even if he has been unable to secure a new deal with Brussels.
Veteran former chancellor Ken Clarke said that in those circumstances he would vote to bring down the Government.
‘If some idiot was sailing into a no-deal Brexit I’d decide politics had finally gone mad and vote against it,’ he told The Observer.
Mr Johnson’s position received a further boost with the support of Esther McVey, who was eliminated from the contest after finishing last in the first ballot.
Writing in The Sunday Telegraph she said: ‘He has promised to deliver Brexit on October 31, deal or no deal, and has shown time and time again that he is a dynamic leader, capable of building a strong team around him that will deliver on his promises.’