Boost for Theresa May as Tories take four point poll lead over Labour
2 min read
The Conservatives have opened a four point poll lead over Labour despite being riven by a series of party splits on Brexit and criticism of Theresa May's leadership.
The latest YouGov poll for The Times shows the Tories on 43%, up one point since last week, with Labour down three points on 39%.
The Tory lead - the largest recorded by the pollster since last year's election - is notable because open warfare has broken out in the party over Brexit.
In particular, Conservative MPs are at odds over whether Britain should seek to remain a member of a customs union with the European Union after it leaves.
Pro-European backbencher Anna Soubry even declared earlier this week that she could quit the Tories if hard-Brexiteers such as Jacob Rees-Mogg seized the leadership.
The poll also gives Theresa May a personal boost, by giving her an eight-point lead over Jeremy Corbyn on the question of which of them would make the best Prime Minister - up from six points last week.
Some 37% back Mrs May, compared to 29% for the Labour leader, while 33% do not know.
However voters overwhelmingly think Mrs May is doing a bad job on negotiating Brexit, with 59% saying she is doing badly, 22% saying she is doing well, while 19% do not know.
There is also a split on the question of whether Britain was right to vote to leave the EU in 2016 with 43% agreeing while 44% disagree.
The same poll last week showed there was a significant, six-point lead for those saying it was wrong to leave.
