Boris’s gamble is paying off as Tory lead over Labour nearly DOUBLES in three weeks

Boris Johnson’s gamble in suspending Parliament to deliver Brexit received a major boost last night.

The Tory poll lead over Labour has nearly doubled in three weeks and most voters think the Queen was right to approve the Prime Minister’s request.

Even a fifth of Labour supporters believe Mr Johnson is doing a good job at No 10. Despite being an Old Etonian, he is seen as having more of the ‘common touch’ than Jeremy Corbyn.

The Survation poll for the Daily Mail is likely to fuel speculation as to how long Mr Corbyn can cling on as Labour leader.

Only a month after taking over at the Liberal Democrats, Jo Swinson is already seen as a more suitable prime minister.

The survey puts the Tories on 31 per cent, Labour on 24, the Lib Dems on 21 and Nigel Farage’s Brexit Party on 14.

The Conservative lead is three percentage points higher than on August 11.

Boris Johnson's gamble to suspend Parliament has received a boost after a major poll revealed the Tory lead over Labour has doubled

Boris Johnson’s gamble to suspend Parliament has received a boost after a major poll revealed the Tory lead over Labour has doubled

Polls show how the Conservatives have performed strongly since Boris Johnson took over as prime minister

Polls show how the Conservatives have performed strongly since Boris Johnson took over as prime minister

However, Mr Johnson – who inherited a six-point deficit from Theresa May – was embroiled in a clash with Sajid Javid last night after the Chancellor confronted him over the firing of one of his Treasury aides without his knowledge.

Sonia Khan was dismissed on the spot by the Prime Minister’s chief aide, Dominic Cummings, amid accusations that she had leaked Brexit secrets to Philip Hammond, who was her previous boss as chancellor.

It exposed an apparently growing rift between No 10 and Mr Javid, who faced the embarrassment this week of having details of his autumn budget leaked by Downing Street before he had approved it.

An ally of Mr Javid said that the Chancellor was furious and this had ‘been made clear to the Prime Minister’.

Last night Mr Cummings was unrepentant and told colleagues: ‘If you don’t like how I run things, there’s the door – f*** off.’

Downing Street will be buoyed by strong support in the poll from Tory voters to crush a move by MPs next week to block a No Deal Brexit.

Despite being an Old Etonian, Mr Johnson is seen as having more of the 'common touch' than Jeremy Corbyn

Despite being an Old Etonian, Mr Johnson is seen as having more of the ‘common touch’ than Jeremy Corbyn

More than half say Conservative MPs who join the rebellion should be blocked from standing for the party again.

Ahead of next week’s Commons showdown over Brexit:

  • Mr Johnson fuelled speculation about a snap election by announcing £14billion in funding for schools;
  • He warned of ‘catastrophic’ damage to democracy if Brexit was blocked;
  • Former Tory minister Sir Oliver Letwin opened talks with Commons Speaker John Bercow over tabling a vote to potentially delay the UK’s departure;
  • Sir John Major joined a legal bid to block the PM’s plan to suspend parliament;
  • Gordon Brown said EU leaders were now prepared to scrap the October 31 deadline to avoid No Deal;
  • Jeremy Corbyn called for street protests today against the prorogation;
  • Michael Gove prepared to unveil a £100million No Deal information campaign with the slogan ‘Get Ready’.

The Survation survey suggests the Government’s stance on Brexit is starting to erode support for Nigel Farage.

Backing for the Brexit Party is down 1 percentage point since August 11 and is six points lower than it was before Mr Johnson became Prime Minister.

The prospect of a Tory-Brexit pact, seen as vital for the Conservatives to win a Commons majority, gets the thumbs-up from supporters of both parties. An alliance is backed by 63 per cent of Tories and 71 per cent of Brexit Party supporters.

The public is split over the suspension of Parliament. Mr Johnson claimed it was needed for a long overdue Queen’s Speech setting out the Government’s post-Brexit domestic legislation. His political foes said it was a cynical bid to stop MPs blocking No Deal.

The poll found that 40 per cent felt the Prime Minister was wrong to suspend Parliament and 39 agreed with the move.

Only a month after taking over at the Liberal Democrats, Jo Swinson is already seen as a more suitable prime minister than Corbyn

Only a month after taking over at the Liberal Democrats, Jo Swinson is already seen as a more suitable prime minister than Corbyn

Another 52 per cent said the Queen had made the right decision compared with 29 per cent who said she should have refused the request.

Asked who they back on Brexit, Mr Johnson is the clear winner on 45 per cent but Miss Swinson’s attempt to mop up Labour voters frustarated by Mr Corbyn’s stance on the issue is clearly succeeding.

Among the main three parties, the passionate Remainer has the second most popular Brexit policy on 21, with Mr Corbyn trailing on a lowly 16. Even among Labour voters, Mr Corbyn is only marginally ahead of Miss Swinson – by 33 to 29.

Mr Johnson is clear winner as ‘best PM’ on 45 per cent, Miss Swinson is second on 19 and Mr Corbyn third on 17.

Asked to choose between the Labour leader and pro-EU former Tory chancellor Ken Clarke as a caretaker prime minister the latter polls 32 per cent to 21 for Mr Corbyn.

As well as having more of a ‘common touch’, Mr Johnson is seen as more intelligent, stronger, more charismatic and more statesmanlike. Mr Corbyn leads in just one category: he is seen – marginally – as more ‘caring’.

The survey emphasises the scale of the risk Mr Johnson took when he vowed the UK would cut its ties with Brussels ‘do or die’ on October 31.

The public support his bold aim: 49 per cent oppose moves to delay Brexit to take negotiations into extra time; 42 per cent disagree.

Fifty-two per cent say that if the EU drops the so-called Northern Ireland backstop the UK should back the deal. Only 22 per cent disagree.

But voters are not convinced Brussels will back down.

A total of 52 per cent believe we will leave without a deal, compared with 19 per cent who think we will depart having secured one. A total of 13 per cent believe we will remain in the EU.

But if Mr Johnson fails to secure an exit on October 31 his ‘do or die’ promise could back to haunt him. One in two voters, including one in four Conservatives, say he will have no choice but to resign.

Survation interviewed 1,020 adults online on Thursday and yesterday.

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk