Javid to endorse Johnson as PM

Britain’s interior minister Sajid Javid will this week formally endorse Boris Johnson to be the next leader of the Conservative Party and the country’s next prime minister, the Sunday Times reported.

Johnson is the frontrunner in a contest with foreign minister Jeremy Hunt to be the next leader. Voting is due to close on July 22, with the winner set to be announced the following day.

Johnson has pledged to leave the European Union with or without a deal on Oct. 31 if he becomes prime minister, while Hunt has said that he would, if absolutely necessary, go for a no-deal Brexit.

The Sunday Times said Javid has positioned himself to be Johnson’s finance minister, taking over from current finance minister Philip Hammond.

It reported that in a speech on Tuesday, Javid will say: “Trust in our democracy will be at stake if we don’t make Oct. 31 a ‘deal or no deal’ deadline. To prepare that, we are agreed on the need for ramped-up no-deal preparations, including a budget.” The newspaper also said that Johnson would visit the United States before the end of September to meet President Donald Trump.

Britain’s opposition Labour Party will call a no confidence vote in the government when it believes members of the ruling Conservatives will support it, the party’s trade spokesman Barry Gardiner said on Sunday.

Boris Johnson, the frontrunner to become prime minister this month, has said Britain must leave the European Union on Oct. 31 with or without a deal. Several Conservative lawmakers have said they would consider voting to try to bring down a government which was pursuing a no-deal Brexit.

“We will call a no confidence vote when we believe that those Conservative members of parliament who have said that they would support a no confidence motion in the government in order to stop a no deal are likely to support it,” Gardiner told Sky News.

Asked if Labour was having conversations with those lawmakers, Gardiner said “Of course”.

Conservative lawmaker Sam Gyimah, who ran for the party’s leadership but withdrew before voting began, told Sky News that voting against the government was the “nuclear option” and he did not intend to do so but he knew others were considering it.

Agencies