Boris Johnson Is Runaway Favorite to Be UK’s Next Prime Minister

By Staff, Agencies

Boris Johnson is highly-fancied to be announced as outgoing British Prime Minister Theresa May’s successor at around 11am BST on Tuesday, in a contest against Jeremy Hunt that appeared to be over before it had even begun.

Voting for Britain’s next PM closed on Monday evening, with just 165,000 Conservative members eligible to cast their ballots, which is less than 1 percent of the UK population.

Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt were whittled down from 10 contenders to fight it out, with the latter having a mountain to climb to overhaul the Tory grassroots’ favorite.

If the polls have been in any way accurate at painting a true picture of Tuesday’s likely winner, then Johnson should win handsomely, despite a campaign that has attracted a number of controversies.

Polling of Tory members by Yougov, between June 1 and 5, revealed 74 percent would vote for Johnson compared to 26 percent for Hunt.

The contest has been dominated by the issue of Brexit with both men declaring that they would be willing to take the UK out of the EU without a deal.

It’s been Johnson’s reluctance to rule out suspending the UK parliament to ram through a no-deal Brexit that has seen a string of cabinet ministers, including Chancellor Philip Hammond, pledge to resign in protest if he wins.

The winner is scheduled to make a speech soon after.

On Wednesday afternoon outgoing PM Theresa May will make a final statement, following her last PMQs, outside 10 Downing Street.

She will then travel to Buckingham Palace to meet the Queen to offer her formal resignation.