Voters still prefer Theresa May as Prime Minister over Jeremy Corbyn despite her Tory conference meltdown, according to a poll today.
Research by YouGov for the Times found 36 per cent of the public thought Mrs May made the best PM – compared to 33 per cent for the Labour leader.
Perhaps in a sign of dissatisfaction with the options on offer, nearly a third did not know who they favoured.
Although the gap has narrowed to three points from eight last month, the findings will be a welcome boost to Downing Street in the wake of a dreadful week and as the Brexit negotiations enter their trickiest stage.
Research by YouGov for the Times found 36 per cent of the public thought Mrs May made the best PM – compared to 33 per cent for the Labour leader
The PM, pictured in her Maidenhead constituency today, dismissed calls to quit and said she was ‘providing calm leadership’ after plotter went public
Mrs May is struggling to contain the Tory civil war that reignited following her nightmare speech in Manchester, during which she was confronted with a fake P45 by a prankster, lost her voice due to a sore throat, and endured the set collapsing around her.
Former party chairman Grant Shapps has gone public with a plot to oust Mrs May, claiming that ‘one or two’ members of her own team privately want her to go.
But Mr Shapps admitted his coup attempt was still well short of the 48 names needed to force a contest for the top job.
And he was brutally lampooned by Conservative MPs, who branded him ’embittered’, a ‘used car salesman’ and said he spoke for ‘no-one’.
One backbencher accused Remainers of making a ‘pathetic’ bid to regain control of the party, and said of the idea he had 30 supporters: ‘Diane Abbott must be doing the adding up.’
For her part, Mrs May insisted she has the ‘full support’ of the Cabinet today and pledged to provide ‘calm leadership’.
The poll, carried out on Wednesday and Thursday, largely after the speech, suggests that Mrs May evoked more sympathy than disdain for her hapless showing.
The research also found the main parties were effectively neck and neck in voting intention, despite an incredibly turbulent run for the government since the election
Comedian Simon Brodkin managed to get through security at the Manchester venue and hand Mrs May the P45 in one of several disastrous parts of the speech
Some 31 per cent still think Mrs May is doing a good job as PM, although that is down from 42 per cent before the election in June.
The research also found the main parties were effectively neck and neck in voting intention, despite an incredibly turbulent run for the government since the election.
The Tories were up one point on 40 per cent, with Labour down one point on 42 per cent.
YouGov stressed that the changes were well within the margin of error.
Tory MP James Cleverly said of the poll: ‘Reality check for those who think real people give a sh** about coughs, chanting crowds or pranksters at party conferences. Back to work now.’