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| Johnson on course to win Tory leadership contest | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Boris Johnson is expected to be elected leader of the Conservatives within the next few hours, entering Downing Street as Theresa May’s successor on Wednesday. | Boris Johnson is expected to be elected leader of the Conservatives within the next few hours, entering Downing Street as Theresa May’s successor on Wednesday. |
| He is likely to win by a substantial margin over his rival, Jeremy Hunt, after a seven-week contest in which 160,000 Conservative members have picked the next prime minister to govern the country. | He is likely to win by a substantial margin over his rival, Jeremy Hunt, after a seven-week contest in which 160,000 Conservative members have picked the next prime minister to govern the country. |
| Johnson is set to take office at a time of political crisis over Brexit as he has promised to seek a new deal with the EU or leave without an agreement at the end of October. | Johnson is set to take office at a time of political crisis over Brexit as he has promised to seek a new deal with the EU or leave without an agreement at the end of October. |
| However, parliament has rejected May’s deal and refused to countenance a no-deal Brexit, while the EU has consistently said it will not reopen the agreement for further negotiations. | However, parliament has rejected May’s deal and refused to countenance a no-deal Brexit, while the EU has consistently said it will not reopen the agreement for further negotiations. |
| At least three cabinet ministers – Philip Hammond, Rory Stewart and David Gauke – have said they will resign from the cabinet in the next 36 hours rather than serve under Johnson because he is prepared to carry out a no-deal Brexit. | At least three cabinet ministers – Philip Hammond, Rory Stewart and David Gauke – have said they will resign from the cabinet in the next 36 hours rather than serve under Johnson because he is prepared to carry out a no-deal Brexit. |
| Anne Milton, a business minster, pre-emptively resigned on Tuesday before Johnson’s appointment, saying she had “grave concerns” about a no-deal Brexit. Margot James, a fellow business minister, also resigned from her job last week saying it was “concerning enough” that Johnson was prepared to leave the EU without a deal, but refusing to rule out proroguing parliament to push it through was a “bridge toofar”. | Anne Milton, a business minster, pre-emptively resigned on Tuesday before Johnson’s appointment, saying she had “grave concerns” about a no-deal Brexit. Margot James, a fellow business minister, also resigned from her job last week saying it was “concerning enough” that Johnson was prepared to leave the EU without a deal, but refusing to rule out proroguing parliament to push it through was a “bridge toofar”. |
| Boris Johnson warned by Tory rebels: ditch no deal or face fight for survival | Boris Johnson warned by Tory rebels: ditch no deal or face fight for survival |
| Tory rebels have also threatened to vote down his government in the autumn if he pursues such a path and fails to approach the job with a conciliatory manner that brings together the party and country. | Tory rebels have also threatened to vote down his government in the autumn if he pursues such a path and fails to approach the job with a conciliatory manner that brings together the party and country. |
| Johnson campaign sources said he would stress unity as he speaks to the country following his election and appoint a “balanced” cabinet. | Johnson campaign sources said he would stress unity as he speaks to the country following his election and appoint a “balanced” cabinet. |
| Michael Fallon, the former defence secretary, told the BBC he believed there would be “some support for how we can get this agreement improved”. | Michael Fallon, the former defence secretary, told the BBC he believed there would be “some support for how we can get this agreement improved”. |
| On Johnson’s critics within his own party, he suggested Hammond “needs a rest” and said: “I can’t see any of them being self-indulgent enough to bring the government down.” | On Johnson’s critics within his own party, he suggested Hammond “needs a rest” and said: “I can’t see any of them being self-indulgent enough to bring the government down.” |
| The would-be Tory rebels are not planning to challenge Johnson immediately, even though Alan Duncan quit as a minister on Monday and unsuccessfully tried to lay a motion to test Johnson’s majority before he takes office. | The would-be Tory rebels are not planning to challenge Johnson immediately, even though Alan Duncan quit as a minister on Monday and unsuccessfully tried to lay a motion to test Johnson’s majority before he takes office. |
| They said they were prepared to give Johnson a chance to avoid a no-deal Brexit and strike a fresh agreement with Brussels but he would need to move quickly. | They said they were prepared to give Johnson a chance to avoid a no-deal Brexit and strike a fresh agreement with Brussels but he would need to move quickly. |
| Gauke, the justice secretary who is likely to resign shortly, also said he was not prepared to vote down Johnson’s government in a confidence vote. He said it would be “a risk for my colleagues” because it would trigger an election that could put Jeremy Corbyn in Downing Street. | Gauke, the justice secretary who is likely to resign shortly, also said he was not prepared to vote down Johnson’s government in a confidence vote. He said it would be “a risk for my colleagues” because it would trigger an election that could put Jeremy Corbyn in Downing Street. |
| However, the scale of the problems facing Johnson were set out by William Hague, the former party leader, in his Telegraph column (£). | However, the scale of the problems facing Johnson were set out by William Hague, the former party leader, in his Telegraph column (£). |
| “The ‘do or die’ approach to Brexit by October 31 is counter-productive, since it fails to frighten the EU but is driving some current cabinet ministers into opposition inside the party. A government whose main policy is opposed by Philip Hammond, an accomplished chancellor; David Gauke, an excellent justice secretary; and Rory Stewart, one of the best hopes for the future, is in near-terminal trouble from its first hour. | “The ‘do or die’ approach to Brexit by October 31 is counter-productive, since it fails to frighten the EU but is driving some current cabinet ministers into opposition inside the party. A government whose main policy is opposed by Philip Hammond, an accomplished chancellor; David Gauke, an excellent justice secretary; and Rory Stewart, one of the best hopes for the future, is in near-terminal trouble from its first hour. |
| “It will be worth keeping in personal contact with these and other disaffected colleagues, since it would be bad enough for a Tory government to be brought down by its own side but still more tragic if it happened because of misunderstanding.” | “It will be worth keeping in personal contact with these and other disaffected colleagues, since it would be bad enough for a Tory government to be brought down by its own side but still more tragic if it happened because of misunderstanding.” |
| In a scathing analysis, Hague said Johnson had “consistently advocated an improved deal with the EU, but steadily made that pretty much impossible to obtain”. | In a scathing analysis, Hague said Johnson had “consistently advocated an improved deal with the EU, but steadily made that pretty much impossible to obtain”. |
| He warned that Johnson may not survive for long in the job and urged him not to “muck it up” by failing to govern with a broad centre right unionist agenda. | He warned that Johnson may not survive for long in the job and urged him not to “muck it up” by failing to govern with a broad centre right unionist agenda. |
| He added: “The wafer-thin margin of the Conservative and DUP majority in the Commons, and the opposition to your Brexit policy by a substantial number of Tories, means that unless you have a lot of Labour MPs up your sleeve you are only a few weeks from a fateful choice: becoming the second prime ministerial prisoner of this deadlocked parliament or seeking a new parliament. | He added: “The wafer-thin margin of the Conservative and DUP majority in the Commons, and the opposition to your Brexit policy by a substantial number of Tories, means that unless you have a lot of Labour MPs up your sleeve you are only a few weeks from a fateful choice: becoming the second prime ministerial prisoner of this deadlocked parliament or seeking a new parliament. |
| “It is perfectly good to be mysterious about what you will do in this situation, as long as it is not a mystery to you. From day one, it would be wise to have the plan for a general election clear in your head.” | “It is perfectly good to be mysterious about what you will do in this situation, as long as it is not a mystery to you. From day one, it would be wise to have the plan for a general election clear in your head.” |
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