Conservative voters regard the favourite as better at making decisions and negotiation

Boris Johnson is more trusted by Tory members to make big decisions and negotiate with the EU than Jeremy Hunt – as well as being regarded as more competent than the current foreign secretary – according to the latest Opinium poll for The Observer.

The findings reinforce Johnson’s position as the strong favourite to succeed Theresa May when Tory party members vote on who should be the next prime minister in the coming weeks. Last week Conservative MPs voted to send Johnson and Hunt into the final round of the contest.

Some 47% of Conservative voters say they would trust Johnson most to make big decisions, against 33% who choose Hunt. The gap is even wider on Brexit, with 57% preferring Johnson to negotiate Brexit than his rival who is chosen by just 26%.

When respondents were asked who was most competent, the result was closer, with 49% saying Johnson and 44% Hunt.

The polling was carried out last week before news broke that the police had been called to the London flat in which Johnson lives with his partner Carrie Symonds, following a late-night row between the couple.

The Opinium survey shows the extent of the challenge facing the next Tory leader. A new shock poll by Survation for the Mail on Sunday found that Jeremy Hunt was now in the lead with the wider public.

Two online surveys taken by the newspaper - one before the news broke on Thursday and one afterwards on Saturday - found Johnson's lead of eight points over Jeremy Hunt had turned into a three point deficit.

When Survation carried out their poll on Thursday, it found 36% said Johnson would make the best PM, with 28% backing Hunt.

But a second survey on Saturday saw Johnson's ratings drop to 29%, while 32% supported Hunt.

Among Tory voters, Johnson's lead when asked who would make the best prime minister had slumped from 27% to 11% in the same period.

Johnson led Hunt 55% to 28%, on Thursday, but this narrowed to 45%-34% by Saturday, according to the survey.

When all voters were asked whether the incident had made them more likely or less likely to back Johnson as leader, more than a third, 35%, said less likely - and just 9% more likely.

The Guardian-The Opinium