Boris Johnson’s successor must get a handle on the economy or face losing next election, poll shows

BORIS Johnson’s successor must get a handle on the nation’s economy or face losing the next election, a poll shows.

Two-thirds of voters say getting a grip of the finances would be one of the three most important factors if there was a national poll tomorrow.

The issue ranks even higher with those who backed the Tories at the last election — with three-quarters saying the economy is in their top three.

Pressure will mount on the successful candidate with inflation at nine per cent — the highest for 40 years — as they attempt to boost growth.

Around half of all voters say the NHS is at the forefront of their mind when casting a vote.

Forty-six per cent of Tory voters rate the health service the second most important issue.

And some 38 per cent of recent Tory voters — and 25 per cent of all voters — say immigration ranks in the top three.

The polling was conducted on Thursday by Redfield and Wilton Strategies with 1,500 participants including 518 who voted Conservative in 2019.

Nearly a quarter of Tory voters in the poll said Boris Johnson’s government had performed worst on immigration, while 18 per cent said it was the economy and ten per cent the handling of the pandemic.

Philip van Scheltinga, of Redfield and Wilton said: “The Conservatives need time to think deeply about who should succeed Johnson.

“If the Party appoints a successor in an attempt to assume ‘business as usual’, they’ll quickly come to regret it.”