Boris bookies’ favorite to become British PM

BORIS Johnson, former foreign secretary who helped lead the 2016 Brexit referendum campaign, continued his progress toward the top job yesterday when he trounced his rivals again in the race to succeed British Prime Minister Theresa May.

In the fourth ballot of Conservative lawmakers, which eliminated Interior Minister Sajid Javid, Johnson was again way out in front of his rivals. Johnson, who served as London’s mayor for eight years, has cast himself as the only candidate who can deliver Brexit on October 31 while fighting off the electoral threats of Nigel Farage’s Brexit Party and Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour Party.

Despite a series of scandals in the past, Johnson has dominated the race since May announced she would step down after repeatedly failing to get her Brexit deal ratified by parliament.

Johnson, 55, has increased his share of the vote of Conservative lawmakers at each of the four ballots so far: 114 out of 313 votes in the first ballot on June 13, 126 on June 18, 143 on Wednesday and 157 yesterday.

Environment Minister Michael Gove was second with 61, Foreign Minister Jeremy Hunt third with 59 and Javid got 34. After the final lawmakers’ ballot leaves just two candidates remaining, around 160,000 Conservative Party grassroots members will vote on who will be their leader — and Britain’s next prime minister — by the end of July. Bookmakers give Johnson an 89 percent probability of winning.

(Reuters)