Boris Johnson a US favourite: Exclusive poll has him as popular choice
Boris Johnson: Americans 'want him as President' says Basham
We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info
Boris Johnson may not have been able to persuade Tory MPs to have him back as Prime Minister last month, but a new poll in America shows he is still easily the most popular choice among foreign leaders to be their President. The exclusive polling by the Democracy Institute for Express.co.uk shows that more than one in five (22 percent) would like Mr Johnson in the White House when presented with a choice of the main foreign leaders.
In contrast, Mr Sunak only received half the support as Mr Johnson on 11 percent.
With Donald Trump expected to declare for the Presidency in the wake of strong midterm election results for the Republicans, the question of whether Joe Biden will run again is foremost on many minds.
The US President, who will mark his 80th birthday later this month and has appeared frail in recent months, has seen his popularity plummet. This is the result of the cost of living crisis in America and a struggling economy which 71 percent of those polled believe is heading for recession.
A sign of Mr Biden’s poor popularity is that 61 percent do not believe he will be re-elected and 56 percent now believe Mr Trump was a better President.
Asked which foreign leader they would want in his place, the New York-born Mr Johnson topped the list with 22 percent – despite being forced out as Prime Minister just three months ago.
He is seven points ahead of his nearest rival, French President Emmanuel Macron, with Canada’s Justin Trudea in third with 14 percent and the new rightwing Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni immediately high up with 12 percent and ahead of Mr Sunak who is on 11 percent.
Concerningly, for the Democrats, who are facing a heavy defeat tomorrow, more of those polled by the Democracy Institute thought it would be better for America if Biden was ejected from the White House (54 percent) than Putin were to leave the Kremlin (44 percent).
The Democracy Institute interviewed 1,500 “likely voters” between November 1 and 3 across the US, with results suggesting the Reppublicans could end up with 57 out of 100 Senate seats and 265 out of 435 House of Representative seats.
But Mr Johnson’s enduring popularity in the US as he joins world leaders this week at the COP27 climate change talks in Egypt is built on Americans liking a “big personality”, according to Democracy Institute director Patrick Basham.
In the video interview (above), he said: “Boris Johnson is still number one because he is still best known, he still reminds a lot of Trump voters of Trump in terms of style and communication skills.
“He is seen as a reliable and strong ally of the US and pro-Americans.
“Those of those who are very gungho about the Ukraine war admire him because of his solidarity with Ukraine.”
On Mr Sunak, he suggested the figure was boosted because his coverage was much better than that of Liz Truss after her catastrophic 48-day Premiership.
Mr Basham said: “Sunak does well in terms of American coverage in terms of his immediate precdecessor.
“She was portrayed as such a bumbling, fumbling, over her head sort of non-entity. He has been portrayed as this competent, not very exciting technocrat who will make the trains run on time.”
He added: “The new Italian Prime Minister (Meloni) has attracted some Trump supporters and taken some Johnson supporters.”
DON’T MISS
‘The numbers favour a massive Republican victory’ [INSIGHT]
Tomorrow Joe Biden will be offcially a lame duck and spat out by party [REACT]
Trump 2024 gathers momentum as allies say he will launch campaign [REVEAL]
Source: Read Full Article