UK | Boris Johnson takes strong lead in race for 10 Downing Street

Above: Boris Johnson. Top row: Dominic Raab, Jeremy Hunt, Rory Stewart. Middle row: Mark Harper, Esther McVey, Matt Hancock. Bottom row: Andrea Leadsom, Michael Gove, and Sajid Javid

Boris Johnson took a commanding lead yesterday in the contest to become Britain’s next prime minister, winning by far the largest share of support in first-round voting by Conservative Party lawmakers.

Johnson, a former foreign secretary and leading Brexit campaigner, secured 114 of the 313 votes cast in the round, which reduced the field of candidates from 10 to seven. His successor as foreign secretary, Jeremy Hunt, trailed with 43 votes, followed by Environment Secretary Michael Gove with 37.

Johnson thanked supporters and tweeted: “I am delighted to win the first ballot, but we have a long way to go.”

The result exceeded the expectations of Johnson’s team and makes him almost certain to be among the final two candidates who will be put to a vote of 160,000 party members nationwide. The winner will become Conservative leader and British prime minister.

Three candidates were eliminated. Lawmakers Esther McVey, Mark Harper and Andrea Leadsom all failed to reach the threshold of 17 votes needed to get to the next round.

The contest is dominated by the issue of Britain’s stalled departure from the European Union, with all the contenders promising to succeed where departing Prime Minister Theresa May failed and lead the country out of the bloc.

May quit as party leader last week after failing to secure Parliament’s backing for her Brexit divorce deal. Britain’s EU departure was originally due to take place on March 29, but has been delayed to Oct. 31 because of the political deadlock in London.

Johnson vowed Wednesday that as prime minister he would “get Brexit done,” either by renegotiating May’s rejected Brexit deal or by leaving the EU on Oct. 31 without an agreement.

“Delay means defeat” for the Conservatives, he said.

EU leaders are adamant that the agreement won’t be altered, and economists warn that a no-deal departure would cause economic chaos for the U.K.

Johnson’s tough line on the EU has won him the support of many Brexiteers in the Conservative Party, who put leaving the bloc about all other issues.

He’s also being backed by moderates on Europe who calculate that he’s the most likely leader to win a future election in which the Conservatives will be squeezed by Nigel Farage’s newly founded Brexit Party on the right, and the opposition Labour Party on the left.

But rivals argue that Johnson’s verbal blunders and haphazard performance in high office make him unfit to lead the country. In 2017, when he was foreign secretary, he said incorrectly that a British-Iranian woman imprisoned in Iran was a journalist, damaging attempts to secure her release.

Last year, Johnson faced criticism last year for comparing Muslim women who wear face-covering veils to “letter boxes.”

After yesterday’s result was announced, Hunt tweeted: “The stakes have rarely been higher for our country. This serious moment calls for a serious leader.”

Conservative legislators will hold further elimination rounds of votes next week until two contenders remain. They will be put to a postal ballot of party members, with the winner due to be announced the week of July 22.

In addition to Johnson, Hunt and Gove, four other contenders remain in the race: ex-Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab, Home Secretary Sajid Javid, Health Secretary Matt Hancock and International Development Secretary Rory Stewart. Jill Lawless, London, AP

How the Tories choose a new leader – and prime minister

Britain’s Conservative Party is holding a contest to replace Prime Minister Theresa May, who stepped down from the party helm last week after failing to deliver Brexit.

Ten candidates wanted to follow May as party leader and into the prime minister’s office. A series of knockout votes will reduce the field until only two are left for a head-to-head showdown.

Here’s a look at the first round and how the contest will unfold:

THURSDAY, JUNE 13

All 313 Conservative Party lawmakers in the House of Commons voted by secret ballot in the first elimination round. Former London mayor and British foreign secretary Boris Johnson emerged as the clear winner with 114 votes.

Six other elected Tories serving in May’s Cabinet or Parliament also made the cut: Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt; Environment Secretary Michael Gove; ex-Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab; Home Secretary Sajid Javid; Health Secretary Matt Hancock; and International Development Secretary Rory Stewart.

Three were eliminated after failing to meet a threshold of 17 votes: Andrea Leadsom, Mark Harper and Esther McVey.

TUESDAY, JUNE 18

Lawmakers hold a second round of votes. The candidate who comes in last drops out of contention, along with any others who receive less than 33 votes.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 19 AND THURSDAY, JUNE 20

Further rounds are held, if needed, cutting the last-placed candidate of every vote until only two finalists remain. The final two are put to a vote-by-mail of Conservative Party members across the country — about 160,000 people.

WEEK OF JULY 22

The new party leader, who will become U.K. prime minister, is announced.