BORIS Johnson could face a vote of confidence in days if he’s crowned PM – as the fight heads to the Tory membership.
MPs are gearing up for a general election this autumn if the favourite wins the support of the members in the coming five weeks.
Boris and his rival Jeremy Hunt will face a gruelling 16 head-to-head debates around the country in the coming weeks – before the Tories vote on who they want to be their next PM.
Last night Tory MP Mark Francois told talkRADIO: “Whoever the winner of the Conservative leadership contest is, they’ll probably face a vote of confidence in the House of Commons within a few days…
“I believe Boris would win that if, crucially, we keep the support of the DUP.”
Mr Corbyn is likely to table that between the 22 and 25 of July – which is when MPs will stop sitting in the Commons and go off for their summer break.
One MP in Mr Gove’s campaign told the i newspaper last night that an election was on the cards in months.
They said: “We have four weeks to prepare for Prime Minister Boris, and then an autumn general election.”
If Boris loses a vote of confidence in the Commons he has just 14 days to get the support of MPs before an election is triggered automatically.
Some MPs have speculated Boris could even call an election in October to ensure that Britain leaves the European Union without a deal.
Hopeful Mr Hunt was out for a jog in Worcester today as the race officially leaves the MPs behind.
He did a walk-about in the town centre and will visit a local business later on.
Last night both men were talking to associations as they geared up to woo over grassroots Tories to their campaigns.
Michael Gove was booted out last night as he lost out by two votes to Mr Hunt.
Boris’ team were accused of “dirty tricks” by lending votes to other teams and then withdrawing them.
The former Foreign Secretary is still the firm favourite, with odds of 1/14 to become the next Tory leader and take the PM crown.
But Mr Hunt, on 8/1, has vowed to give Boris the fight of his life.
Earlier today Governor of the Bank of England, Mark Carney, said Boris’ plans to stop any tariffs if we left the EU without a deal weren’t possible.
Boris has said he wants to use an obscure rule to keep trade regulations the same for ten years.
But Mr Carney told the BBC: “It applies if you have an agreement, not if you’re unable to come to an agreement
Not having an agreement with the EU means there are tariffs, automatically.
“The Europeans have to apply tariffs the same rules to us that they apply to everyone else.
“We should be clear, No Deal means that situation and a bigger adjustment.”
BORIS Johnson vs Jeremy Hunt looks like a terrible final. We hope we’re wrong.
We have great respect for Mr Hunt and congratulate him. He is a decent man and an excellent Foreign Secretary, unfairly maligned by the Left during his long, tough stint at Health. He has run a terrific campaign.
But the Tories won’t want a reformed Remainer in charge now. They want a committed Brexiteer to deliver Brexit, then win votes all over the country.
Boris is vastly more likely to do that. Which is why he is miles ahead with MPs and, more importantly, members.
The Tories should use this contest to produce the best, most achievable Brexit plan. That may be a combination of both candidates’ ideas, though there’s not a huge difference between them.
Then they need the man most capable of winning the election which seems inevitable, before unifying Britain in a way Corbyn’s Marxists can never do.
Mr Hunt is a good operator and a self-made millionaire used to tough negotiations, but we cannot see that beating Boris’s charisma. It would take a miracle or a Boris implosion.
We were sorry to see Home Secretary Sajid Javid lose out. His campaign won him many new fans. And Michael Gove is a tremendous orator, reformer and Brexiteer who would have given Boris a stiffer challenge than any of his rivals.
But Johnson v Hunt it is. Bring it on.
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