Boris wins PM battle
BRITAIN’S next prime minister will be Boris Johnson after the hard-Brexit advocate won a ballot of around 160,000 Conservative Party members to replace Theresa May.
Johnson, who has served as foreign secretary and London mayor, was the strong favourite to win yesterday over rival Jeremy Hunt, the current foreign secretary.
BRITAIN will today swear in Boris Johnson as its new Prime Minister, charged with resolving the Brexit impasse and uniting a divided Conservative Party.
The bombastic 55-yearold former foreign secretary last night won the leadership race over Jeremy Hunt.
Dame Cheryl Gillan, cochairman of the powerful 1922 Committee that organised the vote, announced Mr Johnson as the winner in London.
“The turnout was 87.4 per cent, the total number of ballot papers rejected was 509,” she said.
The results were: “Jeremy Hunt 46,656, Boris Johnson 92,153, therefore I give notice that Boris Johnson is elected as the leader.”
Mr Johnson said: “We are going to energise the country. We are going to get Brexit done on October 31 and we are going to take advantage of all the opportunities it will bring in a new spirit of cando.
“Like some slumbering giant we are going to rise and ping off the guy-ropes of selfdoubt and negativity with better education, better infrastructure, more police, fantastic full-fibre broadband sprouting in every household.
“We are going to unite this amazing country and we are going to take it forward. We are going to deliver Brexit, unite the country and defeat Jeremy Corbyn.”
Outgoing UK Prime Minister Theresa May has pledged to give “full support” to her successor.
Ms May tweeted her congratulations to Mr Johnson after he was elected late yesterday as the new Conservative Party leader.
“We now need to work together to deliver a Brexit that works for the whole UK and to keep Jeremy Corbyn out of government,” she said, referring to the opposition leader.
Ms May plans to remain in Parliament. She told Johnson he would have “my full support from the back benches.”
US President Donald Trump has welcomed the election of Mr Johnson as the Conservative Party’s new leader and soon-to-be British prime minister.
“Congratulations to Boris Johnson on becoming the new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He will be great!” Trump wrote on Twitter.
WE ARE GOING TO UNITE THIS AMAZING COUNTRY AND WE ARE GOING TO TAKE IT FORWARD. BORIS JOHNSON