Boris Johnson is Tory activists' favourite to succeed Cameron

Boris Johnson is the favourite among Conservative grassroots activists to succeed David Cameron as party leader, a survey has found.

The Mayor of London, who will seek a second term next May, is favoured by 57 per cent and the Chancellor George Osborne was preferred by 43 per cent.

Tim Montgomerie, editor of the ConservativeHome website which carried out the poll, said: "Boris has recently been putting lots of clear blue water between him and the Cameron Government and the Tory grassroots clearly like what they see."

Mr Osborne is viewed as the most impressive Cabinet performer, followed by the Work and Pensions Secretary, Iain Duncan Smith; the Education Secretary, Michael Gove; the Foreign Secretary, William Hague, and the Home Secretary, Theresa May.