Only Boris Johnson is more popular than the leader of The Brexit Party with Mr Farage ahead of frontrunner candidates including Michael Gove, Jeremy Hunt, Sajid Javid and Dominic Raab.
Mr Johnson, the former foreign secretary and prominent Brexiteer, was backed by 19 per cent of Tory councillors as the best option to take over from Theresa May when the field included Mr Farage.
The former Ukip leader was supported by 15 per cent of the 781 Tory councillors polled by Survation between April 17 and 19.
The findings are likely to prompt a moment of reflection among... Telegraph.
