LONDON: Boris Johnson won the contest to lead Britain’s governing Conservative Party on Tuesday and will become the country’s next prime minister.
Johnson resoundingly defeated rival Jeremy Hunt, winning two thirds of the votes in a ballot of about 160,000 Conservative members.
He will be installed as prime minister in a formal handover from Theresa May on Wednesday.
In a brief speech Tuesday meant to rally the party faithful, Johnson radiated optimism, and pledged to deliver Brexit, unite the country and defeat the Labor opposition.
“I think we know that we can do it and that the people of this country are trusting in us to do it and we know that we will do it,” he said.
Johnson, a former London mayor, has wooed Conservatives by promising to succeed where May failed and lead the U.K. out of the European Union on the scheduled date of Oct. 31 — with or without a divorce deal.
Here are five things you may not know about Boris Johnson, who is set to become Britain’s next prime minister
1. He hasn’t always been such a confident character
2. He’s not likely to teach journalistic ethics when he leaves 10 downing street
3. He has a history of sporting accidents
4. His hair is not at all like Donald Trump
5 .He has a very unusual way of relaxing
(Agencies)
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