A public opinion poll suggests that pro-Brexit Boris Johnson, the ex-mayor of London and Britain’s former foreign secretary, has the best shot at succeeding Theresa May as prime minister.

Johnson has the backing of 39 per cent of Conservative party members questioned by YouGov in a poll conducted this week for The Times newspaper.

The YouGov poll showed Johnson with a huge lead over his closest rival for the post, former Brexit secretary Dominic Raab, who received only 13 per cent.

Under increasing pressure to give a firm date to step down as Conservative leader, May has agreed with senior lawmakers in the party to do so once parliament has voted on her Brexit deal one more time in early June.

Johnson has, however, said he plans to stand in any contest to succeed May as leader of the Conservative party, if successful, he would then become prime minister.

In Britain, the leader of the ruling party is also the head of government

Johnson resigned from May’s cabinet in July 2018 to oppose her Brexit deal.

He said this week he had “a boundless appetite to help the country to get on the right path.”