A radiation-sensitive composition and negative-working imagable element includes a polymeric binder that has a hydrophobic backbone and pendant salt groups that comprise a cation covalently attached to the hydrophobic backbone and a boron-containing anion forming a salt with the cation. The use of these particular polymers provides fast digital speed (high imaging sensitivity) and good printability (good shelf-life) even when the preheat step normally used between exposure and development, is omitted.