These are the Tories’ 13 Brexitiest Brexiteers, as ranked by Conservative party members
Conservative members have been polled by YouGov on which of their MPs they feel are the biggest Brexiteers – important, considering two-thirds of party members voted to leave the European Union.
Now it has created a definitive ranking.
Foreign secretary Boris Johnson came top of the 13 Brexitiest Brexiteers, despite criticism that personal ambition had driven his role in the campaign to leave the EU. Some 89 per cent of 927 Conservative party members said they felt he wanted to get Britain out of the EU, though six per cent felt he is still a secret Remainer.
Johnson was closely followed on the list by Brexit secretary David Davis, at 82 per cent.
Then it was Michael Gove, Jacob Rees-Mogg, Liam Fox and Andrea Leadsom. The Prime Minister came seventh, although she was the highest-placed MP who backed the Remain campaign in the run-up to the referendum.
Six of the MPs named supported the campaign to leave the EU.
Biggest Tory Brexiteers according to party members
1. Boris Johnson – 89 per cent think he wants Brexit |
2. David Davis – 82 per cent think he wants Brexit |
3. Michael Gove – 81 per cent think he wants Brexit |
4. Jacob Rees-Mogg – 75 per cent think he wants Brexit |
5. Liam Fox – 71 per cent think he wants Brexit |
6. Andrea Leadsom – 61 per cent think she wants Brexit |
7. Theresa May – 53 per cent think she wants Brexit |
8. Michael Fallon – 34 per cent think he wants Brexit |
9. Damian Green – 25 per cent think he wants Brexit |
10. Jeremy Hunt – 22 per cent think he wants Brexit |
11. Amber Rudd – 22 per cent think she wants Brexit |
12. Philip Hammond – 18 per cent think he wants Brexit |
13. Justine Greening – 17 per cent think she wants Brexit |
Oh, and while YouGov was at it, it polled the party members on how they thought the Queen (and David Cameron) felt. Some 40 per cent felt Her Majesty was keen to see Britain leave the EU, while 48 per cent didn't know, and 12 per cent had her pegged as a Remainer.
The former PM was, unsurprisingly, seen as being heavily in favour of remaining in the EU, with 84 per cent thinking he wanted to avoid Brexit.
Johnson also came top among Conservative party members as the person they'd most like to see succeed Theresa May as Prime Minister. Ruth Davidson, leader of the Scottish Conservatives, was in second place at 19 per cent, while Rees-Mogg was in third, with 17 per cent of the vote.
The PM is facing pressure from former Conservative chairman Grant Shapps to resign, with Shapps coordinating a list of Tory MPs calling for her resignation.
However, home secretary Amber Rudd and Damian Green countered the news, throwing their weight behind May’s leadership.