Boris Johnson to become new UK prime minister

Boris Johnson, the United Kingdom’s former foreign secretary and a fierce backer of Brexit, will replace Theresa May as prime minister after winning the Conservative Party’s leadership contest on Tuesday.

He will become prime minister on Wednesday.

{mosads}Johnson, who has been one of the most vocal proponents of the country’s planned withdrawal from the European Union, received 92,153 party votes to defeat Jeremy Hunt, who received 42,656.

“I give notice that Boris Johnson is elected as the leader of the Conservative and Unionist parties,” Cheryl Gillan, a member of Parliament, announced. 

President Trump quickly congratulated Johnson.

“Congratulations to Boris Johnson on becoming the new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom,” Trump tweeted. “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

Trump has offered praise for Johnson in the past, saying he thought he would make an “excellent” prime minister after May’s resignation.

It was a moment seen as unusual, as U.S. presidents do not often voice opinions on foreign elections. 

“I like him. I have always liked him. I don’t know that he is going to be chosen, but I think he is a very good guy, a very talented person,” Trump told The Sun in an interview conducted during his U.K. visit this year.

Following the announcement, Johnson pledged to complete Brexit.

“I say to all the doubters, dude, we are going to energize the country. We’re going to get Brexit done.”

“We are going to unite this amazing country and we are going to take it forward,” he added.

The politician also said that he favored better education, better infrastructure, more police and broadband in every household.

Newly named British PM Boris Johnson: “We’re going to get Brexit done.” https://t.co/6oKzAAsSh8 pic.twitter.com/uaN8871SCh

— CBS News (@CBSNews) July 23, 2019

The contest follows May’s resignation after she was not able to come up with a Brexit plan that could gain Parliament’s support.

May offered congratulations on Tuesday, despite having often been a target of Johnson’s in the past.

“You will have my full support from the back benches,” she tweeted.

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

The leader of the UK Labour Party decried the results as “unrepresentative” since it was only based on a vote of the Conservative Party and also criticized Johnson as pushing for a Brexit without a deal with the European Union.

“Boris Johnson has won the support of fewer than 100,000 unrepresentative Conservative Party members,” Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn tweeted before targeting Johnson on Brexit.

“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.”  

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

Johnson has been at the center of a number of controversies in the U.K. and has been accused by other members of Parliament of making racist comments. 

Updated at 8:13 a.m.