Boris Johnson has been elected as leader of the Conservative Party and will become the UK’s next prime minister after defeating Jeremy Hunt.
Theresa May will tender her resignation to the Queen after taking Prime Minister’s Questions in the Commons on Wednesday afternoon for the final time, with the new Tory leader set to enter Number 10 soon afterwards.
Here’s the latest:
1.03pm
Watch: Boris Johnson thanks Tory members following leadership victory
Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said she had “profound concerns” at the prospect of Mr Johnson’s premiership.
2. However, it would be hypocritical not to be frank about the profound concerns I have at the prospect of his premiership. I am certain that the vast majority of people of Scotland would not have chosen to hand the keys of No 10 to someone with his views and track record.
— Nicola Sturgeon (@NicolaSturgeon) July 23, 2019
12.58pm
Watch: The moment Boris Johnson is announced as new Tory leader
Defence minister Tobias Ellwood, a prominent critic of a no-deal Brexit, said he would stay in Government and urged his colleagues to get behind the new Tory leader.
He told PA: “It’s a duty of every MP to support the prime minister right now.”
12.54pm
Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, who received around a third of the vote, told Mr Johnson that he would be “a great PM for our country at this critical moment”.
Congratulations @BorisJohnson 4 a campaign well https://t.co/b1rmrIHic6‘ll be a great PM for our country at this critical moment!Throughout campaign you showed optimism,energy & unbounded confidence in our wonderful country & we need that.All best wishes from the entrepreneur
— Jeremy Hunt (@Jeremy_Hunt) July 23, 2019
12.50pm
Australian PM Scott Morrison has also congratulated Mr Johnson, saying he has “a reputation for getting things done and making things happen”.
He has a reputation for getting things done and making things happen. I wish him all the best as he charts the way forward for the UK. We have a great relationship with the UK and it will remain so with Boris. ?? ??
— Scott Morrison (@ScottMorrisonMP) July 23, 2019
12.47pm
Health secretary Matt Hancock, who dropped out of the leadership race after the first round, has sent “huge congrats” to the new Tory leader.
Huge congrats to @BorisJohnson on winning the Conservative leadership. Time for us to get behind him to deliver Brexit, unite the country – and then get on to all the other things that matter to people across the UK#conservativeleadership
— Matt Hancock (@MattHancock) July 23, 2019
12.43pm
Mr Johnson’s father, Stanley, said he was “thrilled” to see his son elected as Tory party leader.
He told PA following the result: “I feel absolutely thrilled, completely thrilled – it was a wonderful, inspiring speech, absolutely to be expected.”
A source close to Boris Johnson said Cabinet appointments would not be made until Wednesday evening.
He is expected to spend Tuesday afternoon finalising the top ministerial team and preparing his speech for Wednesday.
Mr Johnson will also address the 1922 committee of Conservative MPs at 4pm today and visit CCHQ.
12.41pm
Speaking to reporters as he left the Queen Elizabeth II Centre, former leadership hopeful Dominic Raab said: “Boris has won over half of the MPs, two thirds of the members – he has got a really strong mandate now to take us forward. He will get a chance now to put together a great team.
“I’m sure he will do that, which will unite the party and get us moving forward to deliver Brexit, talk about some of those other things like broadband, like education that we need to be talking about, that the voters want to hear us talking about, and beat Jeremy Corbyn in the next election.”
Asked if he would like to be in Mr Johnson’s cabinet, Mr Raab added: “I am looking forward to serving whichever way he sees fit.”
12.40pm
Home Secretary Sajid Javid, who was eliminated in the fourth round of the Tory leadership contest, has tweeted his congratulations.
Well fought campaign by my fine colleague @jeremy_hunt.
Congratulations @BorisJohnson on a resounding victory! Now let’s come together as a party under his superb leadership, so we can deliver Brexit, unite our great country and defeat Corbyn.
— Sajid Javid (@sajidjavid) July 23, 2019
12.38pm
Thank you all for the incredible honour you have done me. The time for campaigning is over and the time for work begins to unite our country and party, deliver Brexit and defeat Corbyn. I will work flat out to repay your confidence
— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) July 23, 2019
12.37pm
In his speech, Mr Johnson said: “I know some wag who has already pointed out that deliver, unite and defeat was not the perfect acronym for an election campaign since unfortunately it spells dud.
“But they forgot the final E my friends, E for energise.
“And I say to all the doubters, ‘Dude we are going to energise the country, we are going to get Brexit done on October 31, we are going to take advantage of all the opportunities that it will bring in a new spirit of can do’.
“And we are once again going to believe in ourselves and what we can achieve and like some slumbering giant we are going to rise and ping off the guy ropes of self-doubt and negativity.”
Improved education, infrastructure, more police and full-fibre broadband are among the ways Mr Johnson said this would be achieved.
“We are going to unite this amazing country and we are going to take it forward,” he said.
12.35pm
Mr Johnson said he would work “flat out from now on” with the team he hopes to assemble in the “next few days”.
“In the meantime the campaign is over and the work begins,” he concluded.
He repeated his campaign mantra “deliver Brexit, unite the country and defeat Jeremy Corbyn”, adding: “And that is what we are going to do.”
12.32pm
US President Donald Trump has congratulated Boris Johnson on winning the race to be the next prime minister, tweeting: “He will be great!”
Congratulations to Boris Johnson on becoming the new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He will be great!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 23, 2019
12.31pm
Tory Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg, who backed Mr Johnson’s campaign, said the result gave the new Tory leader a “clear mandate”.
He told PA: “It’s a very good result, a very clear mandate which gives him authority within the party at large.”
He said the result was in line with what he expected.
12.30pm
Watch: Public react as Boris Johnson becomes Tory leader
The Cabinet presented Theresa May with a black handbag from Liberty and a Lalique necklace as leaving gifts at the final meeting of her top team.
Environment Secretary Michael Gove presented the items to the PM, Mrs May’s official spokesman told a Westminster briefing.
12.27pm
Nigel Farage and Sadiq Khan are among the high-profile figures reacting to the news on Twitter.
I wish @BorisJohnson well as Prime Minister with his do or die pledge to deliver Brexit on October 31st. Does he have the courage to deliver?
— Nigel Farage (@Nigel_Farage) July 23, 2019
Congratulations @BorisJohnson. Let’s put aside our differences and work together to reverse police & TfL cuts, invest in affordable homes & secure further devolution to London – which you backed as Mayor. But I’ll never stop speaking out against the catastrophic threat of Brexit.
— Sadiq Khan (@SadiqKhan) July 23, 2019
12.25pm
Watch: Boris Johnson wins Tory leadership race
In his victory speech, Mr Johnson said it was not irreconcilable to remain close with the EU and to deliver Brexit, adding: “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.”
12.22pm
The first response from an international leader came from the Prime Minister of Ukraine, as Volodymyr Groysman tweeted a greeting to the new Tory leader.
My greetings to @BorisJohnson on the appointment as the PM! We’ve met in Kyiv and London, and at different international platforms. Our dialogue has always been meaningful and friendly. I wish Mr. Johnson best of luck in the new position and dedication to conquer the challenges.
— Volodymyr Groysman (@VGroysman) July 23, 2019
12.21pm
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said: “Congratulations Boris Johnson. Let’s put aside our differences and work together to reverse police and Transport for London cuts, invest in affordable homes & secure further devolution to London — which you backed as Mayor. But I’ll never stop speaking out against the catastrophic threat of Brexit.”
12.19pm
EU Commission Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier said he looked forward to “working constructively” with BorisJohnson.
We look forward to working constructively w/ PM @BorisJohnson when he takes office, to facilitate the ratification of the Withdrawal Agreement and achieve an orderly #Brexit. We are ready also to rework the agreed Declaration on a new partnership in line with #EUCO guidelines.
— Michel Barnier (@MichelBarnier) July 23, 2019
12.16pm
MPs have tweeted congratulations – and criticism – shortly after the announcement was made.
Congratulations @BorisJohnson. Looking forward to continuing our discussions on achieving our shared objectives to advance the Union, deliver Brexit and restore devolved government in NI.
— Nigel Dodds (@NigelDoddsDUP) July 23, 2019
Around 100,000 Tory party members have inflicted on us a prime minister with a record of bigotry, racism, lying and incompetence #BorisJohnson
This is not democracy
This is #NotInOurName
— Caroline Lucas (@CarolineLucas) July 23, 2019
Even tho we’ve known this moment was coming, this still feels deeply depressing for the future of our country
— Yvette Cooper (@YvetteCooperMP) July 23, 2019
Johnson’s No Deal Brexit would mean job cuts, higher prices in the shops, and risk our NHS being sold off to US corporations in a sweetheart deal with Donald Trump.
The people of our country should decide who becomes the Prime Minister in a General Election.
— Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) July 23, 2019
12.12pm
As the result was announced, many of those outside the Queen Elizabeth II Centre could be seen huddled around phones and devices.
With Mr Johnson anointed as the next prime minister, campaigners began chanting “hey, hey Boris – give us the People’s Vote today” with the odd sporadic cheer in his support.
12.09pm
Boris Johnson said it was an “extraordinary honour and privilege” to be elected Tory leader. He received 92,153 votes while 46,656 votes were cast for Jeremy Hunt.
12.06pm
Theresa May has tweeted her congratulations to the new Tory Party leader.
Many congratulations to @BorisJohnson on being elected leader of @Conservatives – we now need to work together to deliver a Brexit that works for the whole UK and to keep Jeremy Corbyn out of government. You will have my full support from the back benches.
— Theresa May (@theresa_may) July 23, 2019
12.05pm
Boris Johnson has been elected as leader of the Conservative Party and will become the UK’s next prime minister after defeating Jeremy Hunt.
12.02pm
Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt enter the room – results very shortly pic.twitter.com/m0drTi18vK
— Harriet Line (@HarriLine) July 23, 2019
11.57pm
The result is about to be announced as Tory Party chairman Brandon Lewis enters the stage.
Conservative Party chairman Brandon Lewis says the leadership contest has “shown the very best of our party” pic.twitter.com/YI19k1tpOj
— Harriet Line (@HarriLine) July 23, 2019
11.52pm
DUP leader Arlene Foster is following the events from the Enniskillen Constituency office.
In Enniskillen Constituency Office watching developments in London – awaiting the announcement of our new Prime Minister. #HistoricDays pic.twitter.com/dMyOcnpCAL
— Arlene Foster (@DUPleader) July 23, 2019
11.45pm
The Queen Elizabeth II Centre is packed ahead of the announcement. Boris Johnson’s father Stanley, journalist sister Rachel and politician brother Jo have been spotted among the audience.
