Boris Johnson elected UK PM, replaces Theresa May
Boris Johnson is the next Prime Minister of United Kingdom. The former foreign secretary and London Mayor beat foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt in the battle for 10 Downing Street, which was triggered last month when a Brexit-battered May announced her resignation amid a mounting rebellion from within the Conservative Party.
Boris Johnson, 55, has been the frontrunner in the race ever since a group of Tory MPs put their hat in the ring for the first phase of the leadership election within the Conservative Parliamentary party.
Hunt, 52, had pegged himself as the underdog in the race who, as an entrepreneur himself, had the negotiating skills required to lead the Tories through the tough phase ahead of meeting the October 31 deadline for Britain's exit from the European Union (EU).
The two contenders clashed in a number of hustings around the UK, with Johnson's refusal to take the prospect of a chaotic no-deal Brexit off the table exposing the divisions within the Tory party even further.
Both Johnson and Hunt had made special interventions to reach out to the party's Indian diaspora base, with Hunt pledging to engage with India to "negotiate a free trade agreement" post-Brexit and Johnson promising a "new and improved" trading relationship with India if he is elected.
The former Mayor of London, who has in the past described himself as a “son-in-law of India” by virtue of his now estranged wife Marina Wheeler's Indian mother, also played up a strong "personal relationship with Prime Minister Modi".
Johnson's colourful personal life has been under some scrutiny during the month-long leadership contest, with speculation rife in the UK media on whether his girlfriend Carrie Symonds is likely to join him as partner at 10 Downing Street.
Theresa May, who chaired her last Cabinet meeting on Tuesday at Downing Street, will address her final Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons on Wednesday and then be driven to Buckingham Palace to meet the Queen.
