Hardline Brexiteer Boris Johnson has won the UK's Conservative Party leadership contest and will take over from outgoing Prime Minister Theresa May when she steps down on Wednesday.
Johnson, a former Mayor of London and British Foreign Secretary, was officially named the new Tory leader on Tuesday, beating his rival Jeremy Hunt in a ballot of party members.
The leadership vote was triggered after an embattled May was forced into resigning after losing the support of her cabinet, many of whom were fed up with her inability to secure the UK’s departure from the European Union (EU).
As prime minister, Johnson, 55, will inherit the same problems of a deeply divided Parliament – and nation – when he assumes the role.
Throughout his leadership campaign, Johnson was vocal about his willingness to exit the EU without a deal, pledging to leave “do or die” on October 31, the latest deadline for the UK to depart the bloc.
He said that he’d be willing to force Brexit through on that date by suspending Parliament, if he’s unable to negotiate a new exit deal with EU officials.
The EU has said there is no chance of reopening the Withdrawal Agreement, the deal that May made with the bloc in 2018 but which has failed to satisfy both the Europhile and Euroskeptic wings of both the Tory party and Parliament.
Johnson’s hardline stance led to Foreign Office minister Alan Duncan resigning on Monday – and it is expected to trigger several more resignations in the coming days.
“It is tragic that just when we could have been the dominant intellectual and political force throughout Europe, and beyond, we have had to spend every day working beneath the dark cloud of Brexit,” Duncan said in his resignation letter.
Rory Stewart, the UK International Development Secretary who made a high-profile but unsuccessful bid to lead the Conservative Party, also reiterated on Monday that he would resign rather than serve under Johnson’s leadership.
And last week, both the Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond and Justice Secretary David Gauke confirmed they will step down before Johnson becomes prime minister.
