Few believe Rishi Sunak is currently in control of the Conservative party
With the news in recent weeks dominated by the battle between Boris Johnson and the government over Covid inquiry evidence and Johnson’s resignation honours, it is no surprise to see that fully 74% of Britons currently believe the Conservative party to be divided. Just 5% of Britons see the party as united, including only 8% of Tory voters.
However, Britons place the blame for the current Conservative chaos squarely at the feet of its former leader. Half (52%) say Boris Johnson is primarily responsible for the current (dis)unity of the Tory party, compared to just 19% who blame Rishi Sunak. (Among those Britons who specifically say that the Conservatives are divided, 62% say Johnson is the main reason versus 19% for Sunak).
Conservative voters likewise name Boris Johnson as the main culprit, albeit by a narrower margin of 41% to 29%.
With Tory MPs coordinating resignations, and doing so in a way to maximise by-election woes for the leadership, just 20% Britons think that Rishi Sunak is in control of the Conservative party. Among Conservative voters only 30% think he has a firm grip on the party, with 51% saying he is not.
Photo: Getty
