Nigel Farage is backed by Tory members as the best person to lead the party, new polling suggests.
The survey of the Conservative grassroots by Find Out Now put the Brexit architect in the lead with 27%.
Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt, a former leadership hopeful whose profile was boosted by her sword-wielding role at the King’s Coronation, was second on 23%.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, whose future hangs in the balance as the Tories face major losses in today’s local elections, came third with 19%.
Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch, widely tipped as a contender in a future leadership race, was next on 7%.
Security minister Tom Tugendhat took 6%, followed by Home Secretary James Cleverly on 3% and Housing Secretary Michael Gove on 2%. A further 13% said they did not know.
The poll of 537 Tory members was carried out from April 12-17 for Labour Together.
Mr Farage beat Mr Sunak in a head-to-head by 46% to 38%, while Ms Mordaunt also triumphed over the PM by 46% to 34%.
But 49% of respondents said Mr Sunak should lead the party into the next general election, compared to 38% who said he should not.
However, 46% said he should quit if the Tories lose more than half their seats at today’s local elections, with 41% saying he should not.
The survey also found the Conservative rank-and-file believe Boris Johnson was the best party leader of the last 14 years with 56% opting for him.
Lord Cameron, who made a sensational comeback as Foreign Secretary earlier this year, was second with 19%.
Mr Sunak is third on 11%, while Theresa May and Liz Truss are both on 5%.
The polling comes amid ongoing speculation over Mr Sunak’s successor as he battles to turn around the Tories’ electoral fortunes ahead of a general election expected later this year.
Meanwhile, Mr Farage is expected to make an announcement about his political future in the coming week.
The ex-Ukip leader, who is currently honorary president of Reform UK, could make a bombshell return to frontline politics to lead the party following his stint on I’m A Celebrity.
