Penny Mordaunt - the next Tory Leader?

The People Polling survey, conducted for GB News, asked those who voted Tory in 2019 the person they’d most like to lead the party in the future.

Mr Farage, the newly-appointed leader of Reform UK, came out on top.

The poll saw 17% back the Reform leader.

Buy Penny Mordaunt came in a close second at 14%.

David Cameron received 8% of the backing.

Penny Mordaunt is already being lined up as an understudy to Rishi Sunak. She is set to appear alongside Angela Rayner in the head to head BBC election debate on Friday night.

Despite her defeats in the last two leadership elections, she has emerged as their best option among Tories.

The Commons Leader has long been a popular figure in the party and had decent runs for leader in both 2022 contests, finishing third to Liz Truss in summer and second to Rishi Sunak in autumn

Commenting on the results around Farage, Professor Matthew Goodwin, the director of People Polling, said: “What this shows is Farage’s ongoing popularity among the Conservative rank-and-file and his ability, if he were allowed to rejoin the party, to stage a takeover of the party.”

But the Tory party would have to lurch to the right - something which centrist ministers are fearing.

Mordaunt is gaining the support of centrist ministers among the Tory party - discussing fears of a right-wing takeover, one moderate minister said Mordaunt is becoming increasingly attractive because they think she has a “broader appeal in the grassroots.”