Tories still back Portillo

London - Mr Michael Portillo's gamble in talking about his homosexual past appeared to have paid off, with two polls today showing…

London - Mr Michael Portillo's gamble in talking about his homosexual past appeared to have paid off, with two polls today showing overwhelming support for the former Tory defence secretary.

More than three quarters of those questioned by a Mori survey for the Mail on Sunday said Mr Portillo's decision to talk about his gay experiences as a student at Cambridge did not change their view of him.

  • Join The Irish Times on WhatsApp and stay up to date

  • Sign up for push alerts to get the best breaking news, analysis and comment delivered directly to your phone

  • Listen to In The News podcast daily for a deep dive on the stories that matter