Boris Johnson launches campaign to become next British PM
- The former foreign secretary is popular among grass-roots party members and with US President Donald Trump, who has called him a ‘friend’
- He is less popular among his own MPs because of the key role he played in campaigning for Brexit and his gaffe-prone style
Boris Johnson, the front runner to replace Theresa May as Britain’s prime minister, launched his digital campaign to become the Conservative Party leader on Monday, coinciding with the visit of “friend” Donald Trump.
The launch video follows Johnson on the campaign trail, promising voters that he will take Britain out of the European Union on October 31 “deal or no deal” if he becomes prime minister by being elected Tory leader.
The former foreign secretary is popular among grass-roots party members, but they will only get a vote once the party’s MPs have whittled down the ever-growing candidates list to a final two.
He is less popular among his own MPs because of the key role he played in campaigning for Brexit and his gaffe-prone style. He failed to make the last two when he last ran for the job in 2016.
US President Trump, who kicked off a state visit to Britain on Monday, gave Johnson his backing on Saturday.
“I actually have studied it very hard,” Trump told the Sun newspaper, earlier calling Johnson a “friend.”