The United Kingdom has a new prime minister as Boris Johnson became the leader of the country’s governing Conservative Party. He defeated Conservative rival Jeremy Hunt by winning two-thirds of roughly 160,000 party votes across the country today.
He will officially become prime minister tomorrow once Queen Elizabeth II formally asks him to form a government.
Britain’s former prime minister, Theresa May, announced she would be stepping down in May after failing to come to a deal with the European Union on the UK’s exit from that body. Finalizing a Brexit deal is one of Johnson’s biggest mandates.
“I say to all the doubters: ‘Dude, we are going to energize the country, we are going to get Brexit done,’” Johnson said in his acceptance speech.
President Trump tweeted congratulations to Johnson this morning and expressed optimism for the job the former London mayor will do. “Congratulations to Boris Johnson on becoming the new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He will be great!” the President wrote on Twitter.
Photo by Andrew Parsons via Flickr