The survey was conducted during the afterwash of the Mayor’s declaration that he wants to stand for the Commons next May, his back-and-forthing about an Uxbridge candidacy, and an effervescent Telegraph column about bunker busting bombing ISIS members, bringing back control orders, presuming the guilt of those visiting war areas, etc…
(…Please remind me: which Government department has the lead responsibility for security…?)
…While, in the meantime, the effect of Theresa May’s dramatic conference confrontation with the Police Federation have been slowly fading. There have been a mass of alarming headlines about terrorism and angry ones about immigration, and vice-versa. The Government is set to miss its immigration target. This is her third fall from that post-speech high of 35 per cent.
One might therefore have presumed that Boris’s ratings would rise sharply and the Home Secretary’s would fall substantially.
So it’s worth clocking that while the Mayor’s support is up by eight points, May’s is down by only two. Perhaps the terror factor is a help, not a hindrance. Maybe the Government immigration problems are primarily blamed on Downing Street. It could be that a bedrock of Party members are, like Peter Franklin and this site, impressed by her overall performance. Time will tell.
It’s a two horse race at the moment. David Davis is third, doubtless as the established anti-Cameron runner as well as on his own merits, but his appeal now surely has strict limits. No-one else reaches double figures.