Prime Minister Boris Johnson meets members of staff during a visit to Whipps Cross University Hospital in Leytonstone, east London. Photo / AP
Prime Minister Boris Johnson meets members of staff during a visit to Whipps Cross University Hospital in Leytonstone, east London. Photo / AP
Boris Johnson rates more favourably than Jeremy Corbyn across every single social group except Londoners, Remainers and the young, a new poll has found.
With a general election in 2019 looking likely, both Corbyn and Johnson will be keen to boost their image as much as possible over the coming weeks, with Johnson already hitting the campaign trail in an effort to drum up support.
The latest Telegraph poll.
Telegraph analysis of the latest YouGov polling data shows that the Labour leader currently has a mountain to climb, sitting a full 33 points behind the Prime Minister in net favourability (-49 vs -16).
The Prime Minister has made it his aim to unite Leave voters behind his banner and draw back disaffected Tory voters from the Brexit Party with his "do or die" promise to leave the EU by October 31 and with his stringent opposition to requesting an extension.
The results of the poll suggest this strategy is working, with Leave voters having confidence that Johnson can deliver. The Conservative leader currently holds a +46 net approval score with Leave voters, a whopping 129 points clear of Corbyn (-83).
Unsurprisingly, Johnson's commitment leaving the EU means that he is deeply unpopular with those who voted Remain in 2016, with a net -75 favourability rating among these voters.
Corbyn also scores fairly poorly among Remainers (-24), but Labour's commitment to hold a people's vote should they win an election has garnered him enough support to hold a comfortable 51 point lead over the Prime Minister with this group.
Corbyn popular among the young
Unfortunately for Corbyn, the only other group where he clearly polls better than the Johnson is with younger voters (aged 18-24), where he leads his opposite number by 44 points.
Britain's Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn makes a speech during a shadow cabinet meeting in Manchester, England earlier this month. Photo / AP
The Conservatives have long struggled to attract the youth vote, which strongly backed Labour in 2017, and it appears that Johnson is not about the break that trend.
Support - or lack thereof - is fairly even for the two leaders among the 25-49 age group, but older voters are far more likely to view Johnson as the more popular of the two, particularly those aged 65 and over.
Boris' lead in North and Midlands presents concern for Labour
Regionally, Corbyn just manages to scrape something of a win in London where his net favourability sits at -32 vs -39 for Johnson.
The capital has often proven a tough nut for the Conservatives to crack, where support for Labour and the Lib Dems has always been strong. That both leaders have similarly negative net approval scores here is evidence of just how unpopular Corbyn is as Labour leader among London residents.
However away from London the Prime Minister is seen as more popular in every other region, especially in the the south of England (excluding London), the Midlands and Wales where he easily outpaces his opposite number.
Corbyn will be particularly worried about his approval ratings in Labour's northern heartlands. While Johnson remains unpopular there on -26, Corbyn does even worse with a score of -43.
Many areas of the North voted heavily to Leave in the 2016 referendum, and Corbyn has subsequently angered many voters in the North by shifting Labour towards a the Remain side of the argument in backing a second referendum. While he has promised that there will be a "credible Leave option" on any future referendum held by Labour, this appears to have done little to boost his standing in this region of the country.
Omar Salem, whose daughter is being treated in the Acorn children's ward, gestures as he talks to Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Photo / AP
Johnson has so far been largely successful in uniting the Leave vote behind his banner, while Corbyn has failed to do the same with the Remain vote thanks to the Lib Dems and has simultaneously lost much of his support in the North.
Johnson has a big lead over Corbyn but so did Theresa May in 2017
Although Johnson comfortably leads the Labour leader in the approval ratings, it is worth noting that he only polls a positive net score with three groups - Leavers (+46), those aged 65 and over (+23) and with residents in the Midlands/ Wales (+3). Corbyn has no positive net favourability scores among any group.
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, right, shakes hands with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson prior to a meeting at a restaurant in Luxembourg. Photo / AP
Despite his lead the Prime Minister would do well to be cautious, prior to the 2017 snap election Theresa May had a massive lead in the approval ratings over Corbyn, but in the weeks leading up to the election the Labour leader completely wiped out May's lead and she ended up losing her Parliamentary majority.
Polling in this day and age is highly volatile, and while Johnson has reason to be optimistic should a snap election come to pass, there is still much to play for.
