Boris Johnson won the Conservative Party’s leadership contest, beating Jeremy Hunt to become the UK’s next prime minister.
Johnson won by a wide margin, earning 92,153 votes to Hunt’s 46,656.
Boris Johnson will be the UK's new Prime Minister.
— CNN International (@cnni) July 23, 2019
In his victory speech, Johnson reinforced his campaign mantra: "Deliver Brexit, unite the country and defeat Jeremy Corbyn." https://t.co/sbjQHawh4W pic.twitter.com/rEtKYgX9pv
In his victory speech, Johnson thanked Tory members for the "extraordinary honor and privilege you have just conferred on me."
He also thanked Hunt for serving as a "font of excellent ideas," joking that he planned to steal them, and May, for her "extraordinary service to this party and this country."
Johnson argued that throughout history the British people have turned to the Conservative Party to promote the good of the country.
"No one party, no one person has a monopoly on wisdom, but if you look at the history of the last 200 years of this party’s existence you will see it is we conservatives who have had the best insights, I think, into human nature," he said. "And the best insights into how to manage the jostling sets of instincts in the human heart. And time and again it is to us that the people of the country have turned to get that balance right … to promote the good of the whole country."
He said today the country faces another challenge.
"At this pivotal moment in our history we again have to reconcile two sets of instincts between the deep desire of friendship, and free trade and mutual support in security and defense between Britain and our European partners, and the simultaneous desire for democratic self governance in this country,” he said, noting that some say it cannot be done.
“I think we know that we can do it,” he said in closing.
Outgoing Prime Minister Theresa May and President Donald Trump tweeted congratulatory messages.
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
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
This is a breaking news post and will be updated with additional information.
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