Boris Johnson viewed as decisive, strong … and dishonest: poll

Boris Johnson’s reputation is sharply up since he became PM, but a poll shows not everyone’s convinced.

Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson waves from the steps outside 10 Downing Street in London. Picture: Frank Augstein/AP

Boris Johnson’s first month as prime minister sharply improved his public reputation, with far more voters seeing him as decisive, competent and strong.

A poll for The Times also shows, however, that half of people still think that Mr Johnson is dishonest and “putting on an act”.

Mr Johnson’s arrival in Downing Street six weeks ago dramatically changed how he is seen by voters. Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, is also reported to have been impressed by his professional approach.

The YouGov poll, taken in the days after the controversial decision to prorogue parliament before Brexit, indicated that 62 per cent of voters thought that the prime minister was decisive, up 24 points in a month. Just over half (52 per cent) said that he was strong, up 11 points, and 40 per cent described him as competent, also up 11 points.

There were smaller shifts in opinion about Mr Johnson’s integrity. More than half (53 per cent) said that he was untrustworthy, down only five points since the July survey taken just before he was named Tory leader; 56 per cent said he was out of touch with ordinary people; 49 per cent said he was “putting on an act”; and 42 per cent that he was dislikable, up one point.

The poll suggests that voters have been impressed by the decisions taken in Downing Street without warming to Mr Johnson himself. By contrast, two thirds saw Jeremy Corbyn as incompetent, weak and indecisive.

Conservatives and Leavers were much more likely to have a positive opinion of Mr Johnson than other voters. Only 7 per cent of Remainers said he was honest. Women were almost twice as likely as men to reply “don’t know”, suggesting that they had yet to make up their minds about him.

The poll comes amid mounting speculation about the prime minister being forced to call a general election this autumn. “All roads now lead to an election,” said James Johnson, who spent three years in Downing Street as Theresa May’s pollster. “Whether through defeat for the government this week, a last-ditch attempt to stop no-deal in October, further prorogation, a vote of no confidence, or unity governments, a general election is the end point. This week will only decide whether we slowly edge or violently hurtle towards it.”

He cautioned, however, that “a clear Conservative election win was looking shakier than it did a few weeks ago”.

A separate Deltapoll survey for The Mail on Sunday put the Tories on 35 per cent, with Labour on 24 per cent, the Lib Dems on 18 per cent and the Brexit Party 14 per cent.

Mr Johnson has also been boosted by news that Mrs Merkel found her first encounter with Mr Johnson last month “constructive and professional”. The Mail on Sunday said, however, that German officials had said that “concrete proposals” were needed for any breakthrough on a deal. Minutes of the meeting said: “Merkel still needs facts … Once again the ball is in the UK government’s court.”

YouGov surveyed 1,867 adults in Great Britain on August 28 and 29.

The Times