Boris Johnson wins race to be Britain’s next leader

Our live coverage has moved. To follow Wednesday’s developments on Boris Johnson’s first day as prime minister, click here.

And yet, here we are. Boris Johnson’s lengthy journey to the summit of British politics was completed on Tuesday, when he was announced as the new leader of the Conservative Party – and Britain’s next prime minister.

“Dude, we’re going to energize the country,” he promised a packed event hall.

Johnson will take the keys to Downing Street on Wednesday, shortly after Theresa May’s last Prime Minister’s Questions in the House of Commons. May will travel to meet the Queen and formally resign in the afternoon, before Johnson makes the same journey to ask to form a government.

When he crosses the threshold into Number 10, he will be met with a bulging in-tray, a rash of resignations and a flimsy working majority of just two seats.

And so will begin another round of drama at the heart of British government.

You can follow our coverage throughout the day on Wednesday – but for now, we’re closing up our live updates and getting out of here, dude.

Sadiq Khan, Boris Johnson’s successor as Mayor of London, has called on the incoming Prime Minister to work together and “put aside” their differences.

But Khan, who backs a second referendum on Brexit, warned Johnson he’ll continue to make the case against a no-deal crash out of the EU.

Leaders in the European Union have been responding to Johnson’s success, and signaling an openness to work with him on Brexit.

Irish Prime Minister, or Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar tweeted that he is looking forward to sitting down with the incoming UK PM.

The EU’s chief Brexit negotiator also said he intends to work “constructively” with Johnson – but hinted yet again that the Withdrawal Agreement the bloc agreed with Theresa May is not open for further discussions.

And Guy Verhofstadt, the European Parliament’s Brexit coordinator, said the body’s Brexit committee will hold a special meeting to discuss the development. He added that he looks forward to “defending the interest of all Europeans.”

The opposition Labour Party has organized a protest outside Parliament on Thursday, urging for a general election to be called.

“Tory incompetence has led to a deadlocked Parliament, a deeply divided country, and a government led by a man decided by just 160,000 Tory members,” the party’s Facebook event says.

“We need a General Election, and Parliament is where we’ll pile on the pressure. Will you be there?” At the time of writing, just under 1,000 people said they will attend.

Johnson has said he does not intend to call an election before the current Brexit deadline of October 31. But his tiny working majority of two seats could spell trouble down the road – and he may ultimately be tempted to make the same gamble Theresa May did in 2017 by calling a snap poll.

In an email to members, the Labour Party added: “Today, Boris Johnson became leader of the Conservatives. Tomorrow, he’ll be prime minister. How did our country sink so low?”

“Whether you think he’s a scruffy Etonian buffoon or a cold, calculating liar, what’s clear is his terrifying support of a damaging no-deal Brexit and his stunningly out-of-touch policy of tax cuts for the wealthy. We have to stop him.”

Jeremy Hunt, the runner-up in the contest to become the leader of the Conservative Party, believes Boris Johnson will be a good prime minister.

“He will be a great PM. He’s got optimism, enthusiasm, puts a smile on people’s faces and he has total unshakable confidence in our amazing country,” said Hunt, who gathered 34% of the votes, in an interview with Sky News.

On Brexit, Hunt, who is UK foreign secretary, rejected the idea of an inevitable no-deal scenario: “The EU does wants to find a deal. If we approach this in the right way, as I am sure that Boris will, then I think there’s every chance that we could do a deal. What is not out for negotiations is the fact of Brexit itself, us leaving the European Union.”

Boris Johnson’s victory speech featured one line that has predictably attracted the attention of many online.

He noted his campaign slogan – “Deliver, Unite, Defeat” – had an unfortunate acronym, so he added an ‘E’ at the end for “energize.”

“Dude, we are going to energize the country, we are going to get Brexit done!” Johnson said.

Commentators were quick to pounce on the unexpected choice of words.

Some noted that Johnson may soon be asking another question, as several Cabinet ministers plan to resign to outgoing Prime Minister Theresa May before she steps down.

Another reminded us of one of Johnson’s infamous pledges during the 2016 Brexit referendum.

The Labour Party also responded with a critique, writing: “We couldn’t agree more, Boris Johnson is certainly a dude… Defender of bankers and his super-rich cronies, Untrustworthy, Dangerously incompetent, Elite and out of touch.”

Stanley Johnson, the father of incoming prime minister Boris, has told CNN he thinks his son will get along with US President Donald Trump – but warned that the relationship cannot be subservient.

“They have the same hairstyle,” he told CNN’s Bianca Nobilo in a lively interview outside the Queen Elizabeth II Centre in Westminster. “I think they will get on.” He added: “We’re going have to be careful not to be too slavishly geared toward America,” and insisted that “building bridges” with Europe after Brexit will also be crucial.

He also shared some more foreign policy advice for his son, saying that he would go to Brazil and ask its President Jair Bolsonaro, “what on Earth are you doing trashing these rainforests?”

On domestic issues, Stanley praised his son’s “ambition” and said he isn’t as divisive a leader as many believe – noting that he won two elections as London mayor. But he added Johnson’s premiership “will definitely be defined” by how he handles the country’s Brexit crisis.

“I don’t think ambition is such a bad idea,” Stanley Johnson said. “My line would be, are you going to use this ambition for something useful?”

“I’m rather sorry there’s not going to be an inauguration,” he added, but admitted he was “totally proud” of his son’s victory. He said that he won’t “count any chickens before they hatch,” and joked that his son’s car could crash into a bollard before he officially becomes prime minister tomorrow.

Stanley also said he would not be present for his son’s first days in Downing Street, because he will shortly travel to Western Australia to swim with whale sharks.

Boris Johnson’s victory is being met with every emotion possible in Westminster – as you’d expect for one of Britain’s most divisive politicians.

Former Conservative backbencher Nick Boles, who quit the party this year in protest over its Brexit stance, has threatened to oppose Johnson “at every turn” if he pursues a no-deal Brexit.

Green Party MP Caroline Lucas has said the result, voted on by Conservative party members, “is not democracy.”

And Labour MP Mary Creagh asked a question that many Johnson critics will also be wondering…

US President Donald Trump has congratulated Boris Johnson on his victory. Trump has often praised Johnson as a friend, and touted him as a potential prime minister even while Theresa May was in office.

The President featured heavily in the debates during the leadership campaign. Johnson was heavily criticized for his muted response to Trump during the scandal over leaked diplomatic cables earlier this month.

During a televised debate against rival Jeremy Hunt, Johnson refused to confirm that he would keep US ambassador Kim Darroch in his post, after Darroch’s cables describing the Trump administration as “inept” and “incompetent” were leaked. Darroch resigned the next day.

Later in the campaign, Johnson was pressed on another Trump-related outcry – the President’s tweets suggesting that four US Congresswomen of color should “go back” to the countries they came from (even though all four are American). 

Johnson received another round of criticism when he refused to say whether he thought Trump’s tweets were racist. He did, however, say the tweets were “totally unacceptable,” adding that he “can’t understand” how an American leader would use such language.

The incoming prime minister has stressed the need to work with Trump and has gained support from the President for his tough Brexit stance. Both men have criticized Theresa May’s approach, with Johnson calling for the prospect of a no-deal Brexit and Trump claiming, according to May, that he would have “sued” the EU.

Boris Johnson has tweeted after his victory, reiterating the call he made in his speech to “deliver Brexit and defeat Corbyn.”

Boris Johnson may have won the support of the Conservative party, “but he hasn’t won the support of our country,” the opposition Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn tweeted.

Corbyn warned against a no-deal Brexit, which Johnson says he could pursue, and reiterated his frequent call for a general election.

Johnson notes his campaign slogan – “Deliver, Unite, Defeat” – had an unfortunate acronym, so he adds an ‘E’ at the end for “energize.”

“I say to all the doubters – ‘Dude, we’re going to energize the country,” Johnson says, to an audible mix of cheers and ironic groans.

He promises a “new spirit of can-do,” and touts a number of domestic achievements he hopes to achieve.

“I will work flat-out from now on with my team that I will build,” he says. “The campaign is over and the work begins.”

And that’s it – Johnson leaves the stage after a brief speech to rapturous applause inside the hall.

There will be people who question the wisdom of the decision to elect him, Johnson admits.

But he says the Conservative party has worked to “promote the good of the whole country” for the last 200 years.

Johnson then turns to Brexit. He says he read in this morning’s Financial Times that no new leader has ever faced such a daunting set of circumstances. “Do you feel daunted?” he asks the crowd. “You don’t look daunted to me.”

Johnson says he will deliver Brexit and defeat Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.

Johnson is on stage, thanking those involved in the campaign and congratulating his “formidable” opponent Jeremy Hunt.

He says Hunt has been a font of “excellent ideas,” joking that he’s planning to “steal them.”

He also congratulates Theresa May, whom he’s long been a critic of. “It was a privilege to serve in her cabinet,” he says. “Thank you, Theresa.”

May has also tweeted her congratulations to Johnson, promising him her “full support.”

Boris Johnson won the contest in resounding fashion, earning 92,153 votes to Jeremy Hunt’s 46,656.

That’s a predictably comfortable victory for the long-time favorite. He’s on stage now to make his first speech as leader of the Conservative party.

Boris Johnson has defeated Jeremy Hunt in the race to be the Conservative party leader and will be Britain’s next prime minister.

The frontrunner will now make his first speech as Conservative leader, before taking over as PM on Wednesday.

The stage is set, and the leader of the Conservative party – and therefore prime minister –is about to be announced.

Follow all the updates here.

The event inside the Queen Elizabeth II Centre is running slightly behind schedule. Muse’s anthem “Uprising” is playing over the speakers, but the Tory members and politicians in attendance seem unmoved.

Still no sign of Boris Johnson – he is known to arrive fashionably late to events – but Jeremy Hunt has already entered the hall.

Another minister has resigned from the post ahead of Boris Johnson’s expected confirmation as the new Conservative party leader.

Anne Milton, a minister in the department for education, warned of her “grave concerns” about a no-deal Brexit – a scenario which Johnson says he is prepared to pursue.

“I have always believed that our departure from the European Union should be centered around future cooperation, and I had sincerely hoped we would have been able to leave the EU in March with a deal in place,” she wrote. “I have grave concerns about leaving the EU without a deal, and so I feel it is time for me to return to the backbenches.”

It’s worth noting, of course, that a new prime minister usually sacks most of their predecessor’s ministers after taking power – and Johnson has indicated he wants to stack his Cabinet with hardline Brexiteers.

But expect a subplot of the day’s events to be a wave of similar resignations, as the Conservative Party’s two Brexit factions crystallize during Johnson’s first days in charge.

Boris Johnson isn’t prime minister yet, but protesters are already gathering in Westminster to make clear their opposition to Britain’s presumptive leader.

A small handful of anti-Johnson and anti-Brexit demonstraters are waving placards and chanting outside parliament as they await the results of the leadership contest in the next hour.

Meanwhile, Johnson’s family members have arrived at the Queen Elizabeth II Center to watch the announcement.

Guests will soon start filing into the Queen Elizabeth II Centre in Westminster, central London, where the winner of the contest to replace outgoing Prime Minister Theresa May will be announced.

The result is due to be confirmed just after 11.40 a.m. (6:40 a.m ET) and the victor will make a speech immediately afterwards.

As reporters wait eagerly outside Downing Street, one observers seems disinterested in the historic events unfolding around him.

Larry the Cat, the prime minister’s official pet, has taken up residence in the sunshine outside the famous door – as journalists on site were quick to share.

Larry will soon have a new boss, but he won’t be moving house – as a civil servant, rather than a political appointee, the government’s chief mouser will remain in his post whoever takes over as leader later on Tuesday.

Last month, Larry caused a geopolitical standoff of dramatic proportions when he sat underneath President Donald Trump’s limousine, apparently undeterred by the Secret Service.

It’s easy to forget, but Theresa May is still Britain’s prime minister.

She held farewell drinks on Monday, and is holding her final cabinet meeting on Tuesday morning, as she wraps up her duties in the post. A number of ministers have been seen arriving at Downing Street, which is flooded with members of the press.

Jeremy Hunt was among those heading inside – as foreign secretary, and with tensions with Iran escalating over the past few weeks, he still has plenty on his plate. But once the meeting has concluded, he’ll be heading to watch the announcement of whether he – or Boris Johnson – will be the country’s next prime minister. If Johnson triumphs, Hunt could find himself out of his ministerial position by the end of the week.

If Boris Johnson is hoping for a honeymoon period should he becomes prime minister, he may have to think again.

Johnson would inherit Theresa May’s perilously thin working majority in parliament, which currently stands at just two lawmakers. That small margin for error goes some way to explaining why May was unable to get a Brexit deal over the line – and makes her gravity-defying three-year tenure in Downing Street seem rather impressive.

But Johnson could face even more bad news in the hours after he is announced as party leader. His hardline posturing on Brexit has excited those on the right wing of the Conservative party, but it’s dismayed many moderates who fear a no-deal crash out of the EU. And it’s led some senior figures to warn that they won’t be signing up to his agenda.

The current chancellor Philip Hammond said on Sunday that if Johnson wins, he’ll be resigning to Theresa May before she officially resigns on Wednesday, and has made clear he’ll be opposing any attempt by Johnson to pursue a no-deal Brexit.

International development secretary Rory Stewart, who made a high-profile but unsuccessful bid to challenge Johnson for the role, has also reiterated that he won’t be helping a hardline Johnson strategy. And longtime Johnson critic Alan Duncan has already quit his post in the Foreign Office this week.

Want even more bad news? A by-election in Brecon is set for August 1, in which the Tories are expected to lose another seat – so Johnson’s majority could be cut to one seat within his first fortnight in the post.

What does this all mean? Well, it’s virtually inevitable that Johnson’s tenure as prime minister will be rocky and eventful.

Unless you’re a paid-up Conservative party member, it’s not you.

Although the winner of today’s race will become the UK’s next leader, they’re not being chosen by the general public. That’s because this contest has been to elect the new leader of the party – and not, technically, the prime minister.

Theresa May’s Conservatives were already in power, having won a 2017 general election despite failing to gain a majority in parliament. When she stepped down under mounting pressure from her party, she triggered an election to replace her as party leader – and becoming PM is a rather appealing add-on to that role.

Internal leadership elections are chosen by a combination of lawmakers – who whittled down a long-list of candidates to just two – and the party’s members, who have been voting for weeks between Hunt and Johnson.

That means the choice has rested with a self-selecting group of 160,000 Tory members – just 0.2% of the total electorate – who have picked the next leader for a country of nearly 67 million people.

The overwhelming majority of Conservative members are white British, and it’s a generally older and more socially conservative demographic. Their political views are also often at odds with the nation at large – read more about the Tory membership here.

Boris Johnson’s sister once said that as a child, he wanted to be “World King” when he grew up.

Now one of the most divisive politicians of his generation appears to be on the verge of fulfilling his lifelong dream of becoming Britain’s prime minister.

The crucial question being asked in the UK, at a critical moment in the nation’s history, is what exactly drives the man most likely to lead the country? The best way to answer this question is to understand exactly why he is so divisive.

Read Luke McGee’s profile of Johnson here.

For Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt, it all comes down to this.

As the UK starts to swelter under a scorching heat wave, it’s time for a new dawn in British politics. In a few hours, we’ll find out if Boris Johnson, the overwhelming favorite, will take over as Conservative party leader and prime minister in the midst of the country’s biggest political crisis since World War II – or if his challenger, Jeremy Hunt, can pull off a remarkable upset victory.

If today feels like a coronation for Johnson, that’s because it probably is. The gaffe-prone and divisive politician, who has spent years crafting a bumbling but affable persona that has allowed him to weather numerous storms and controversies, has waited his entire career to take the keys to Downing Street.

If he gets over the line today, though, he’ll have plenty on his to-do list. First and foremost will be stemming a tide of disapproval from within his own party over his hardline Brexit strategy. And with a minuscule majority in parliament, things could quickly get as hairy for him as they did for his soon-to-be predecessor, Theresa May.

The results of the Conservative party contest will be announced after 11 a.m. (6 a.m. ET), and the winner will take over as prime minister after May steps down on Wednesday.