Majority of Tory voters want Zac Goldsmith to run for Mayor, poll shows

 
Tory favourite: Zac Goldsmith (Picture: Matt Writtle)
Matt Writtle
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Zac Goldsmith is backed by nearly seven out of 10 Tory supporters who named a candidate to be the party’s challenger for London Mayor in a poll.

The survey of Londoners by YouGov showed the Richmond Park MP storming ahead, with more support than for five other candidates put together.

He was favoured by 69 per cent of people in London who voted Conservative at the general election, after “don’t knows” and “none of the above” were excluded.

Fifteen per cent named former England footballer Sol Campbell, six per cent London Assembly member Andrew Boff, five per cent Syed Kamall, MEP for London, four per cent deputy mayor for policing Stephen Greenhalgh, while one per cent opted for entrepreneur Ivan Massow.

Among the wider London public, millionaire Mr Goldsmith was also far ahead, on 63 per cent, with Mr Campbell in second place on 17 per cent.

Tanya Abraham, of YouGov, said: “Our survey suggests that, of those with an opinion, Londoners in general and Conservative supporters in the capital favour Zac Goldsmith to be the Tory candidate in the London mayoral race. Londoners will expect the next Mayor to deliver on issues such as housing and the economy, but critics will ask whether he has what it takes to be the ‘next Boris’.”

The Conservative mayoral race is not over, though, as 47 per cent of Londoners overall, including 42 per cent of Tory supporters in the capital, said they “don’t know” who they would back, and a further 17 per cent and nine per cent, respectively, responded “none of these”.

Mr Goldsmith also has far greater support among Labour supporters than the other candidates. The Tory contender will be chosen in an open primary, in which anyone on the electoral roll in London can register to vote for a £1 fee. Candidates will be whittled down to two or three by a committee of party members this month, with official hustings and the winner announced in September.

YouGov polling also showed that if Mr Goldsmith was the Tory contender, he may beat Labour’s Sadiq Khan but could lose to Dame Tessa Jowell.

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