Betrayed Leavers are a threat to Boris Johnson, says poll

Half of Leave voters feel ‘betrayed’ by Boris Johnson’s failure to take Britain out of the EU on Thursday.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson in the House of Commons on Wednesday. Picture: AFP

Half of Leave voters feel “betrayed” by Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s failure to take Britain out of the EU on Thursday, leaving the Tories at risk of haemorrhaging seats to Nigel Farage’s Brexit Party, according to a new poll.

A survey carried out by a former Downing Street pollster reveals 57 per cent of Leavers are “disappointed” at the deadline being moved to January, 22 per cent are upset and just 2 per cent are pleased.

However, more worrying for the Tories is the revelation that of those who voted for Brexit, 49 per cent feel “betrayed” at missing the October 31 deadline that Mr Johnson vowed to meet “do or die”, adding that he would “rather be dead in a ditch” than get an extension.

James Johnson, who was Theresa May’s strategy and polling adviser when she was prime minister, said this scale of anger was “roughly double” the figure recorded when he polled the same question after her failure to leave the EU by the earlier deadline of March 29.

In a separate new YouGov poll, the Tories are on 36 per cent, with the Brexit Party on 13 per cent, half the level seen in June.

Labour is on 21 per cent, with the Liberal Democrats on 18 per cent and the Greens 6 per cent.

The Times