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Agence France-Presse

Boris Johnson overwhelmingly won the first round of voting on Thursday in the race to replace outgoing British Prime Minister Theresa May, with the field of candidates narrowed to seven from 10.
The Brexit-backing former foreign minister picked up 114 of the 313 votes cast in a secret ballot of Conservative Party lawmakers in the lower House of Commons.

Mark Harper, Esther McVey, and Andrea Leadsom, who came in second to May in the last leadership race in 2016, failed to collect the required 17 votes and were knocked out.
“Obviously we’re happy with the results but there’s still a long way to go to winning the contest,” a spokesman for Johnson told reporters.
“You have to hold the numbers to go through to the next round,” the spokesman said. “That’s a challenge.”
Boris Johnson says he won’t pay Britain’s Brexit bill if he becomes prime minister
The outcome, if repeated in subsequent rounds which will further whittle down the field starting next Tuesday, is above the 105 votes Johnson would need to make the final two.
The last pair standing will go up before 160,000 voting Conservative Party members across the country.
The winner will become new party leader and automatically replace May as prime minister, most likely at the end of July.

Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt was a distant second with 43 votes.
Environment Secretary Michael Gove was third with 37 votes, former Brexit minister Dominic Raab picked up 27, Home Secretary Sajid Javid won 23 votes, and Health Secretary Matt Hancock had 20.
International Development Secretary Rory Stewart sneaked through in seventh place with 19 votes after running an original social media campaign that endeared him to more liberal party members – and the British public at large.

This is amazing - we’re getting some real momentum here. Thank you so, so much. Let’s push this through to the end. It’s increasingly clear it’s me against Boris. And let’s win #rorywalks pic.twitter.com/YvvAf8oEE5
— Rory Stewart (@RoryStewartUK) June 13, 2019

“This is now neck-and-neck going into the next round,” Stewart told reporters after watching the results announcement. “I feel really inspired and encouraged.”
Hunt and Gove are widely seen as going head-to-head for votes from the more moderate wing of the party which favours a softer line on Brexit negotiations with the European Union.
Raab, like Johnson, has warned that he was ready to take Britain out of the EU without an agreement when the new Brexit deadline arrives in October, if the EU does not offer better terms.


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Boris Johnson

Boris Johnson takes strong lead in race to become next UK leader

Conservative leadership candidate Boris Johnson. Photo: EPA

Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May arrives at the Houses of Parliament in central London on June 13, 2019. - The 10 candidates running to replace Britain's outgoing Prime Minister Theresa May face the first round of voting on Thursday -- when at least one will get the chop. (Photo by Tolga AKMEN / AFP)

Britain's Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Secretary Michael Gove leaves his residence in London on June 13, 2019. - The 10 candidates running to replace Britain's outgoing Prime Minister Theresa May face the first round of voting on Thursday -- when at least one will get the chop. (Photo by Tolga AKMEN / AFP)

Brexit Britain: how the Tories will pick PM Theresa May’s successor

Larry, the Downing Street cat, sits outside the front door of 10 Downing Street, London. Photo: Reuters

Conservative MP Boris Johnson leaves his residence in south London on May 28, 2019. (Photo by Daniel LEAL-OLIVAS / AFP)

(FILES) In this file photo taken on March 28, 2019 Britain's Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Secretary Michael Gove goes on a morning jog in west London on March 28, 2019. - The race to become Britain's next premier heated up on May 26, 2019 as Environment Secretary Michael Gove joined an already crowded field of hopefuls with competing visions of how to finally pull their divided country out of the EU. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP)

UK leadership race: can Hong Kong-born Rory Stewart beat US-born Boris Johnson?

Former British foreign secretary Boris Johnson (left) and Britain's International Development Secretary Rory Stewart (right). Photo: EPA/ AFP

epa07589271 Britain's Secretary of State for International Development, Rory Stewart arrives for a Cabinet meeting in Downing Street, London, Britain, 21 May 2019. Media reports on 21 May 2019 state that following the Cabinet meeting ministers have agreed to Theresa May's plan for her Withdrawal Agreement Bill, including compromises intended to attract the support of Labour Memebers of Parliament and which will be put to Parliament in early June. EPA-EFE/VICKIE FLORES

Brian Stewart CMG (27 April 1922 – 16 August 2015) was a British soldier, colonial official, diplomat and the second-most senior officer in the British Secret Intelligence Service. He was based in Hong Kong and China.

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The former foreign minister picked up 114 of the 313 votes cast in a secret ballot of Conservative Party lawmakers in the lower House of Commons
Mark Harper, Esther McVey, and Andrea Leadsom – who came in second in the last leadership race in 2016 – were all knocked out


The Brexit-backing former foreign minister picked up 114 of the 313 votes cast in a secret ballot of Conservative Party lawmakers in the lower House of Commons.


Britain

Brexit

Theresa May