UK Conservative hopefuls fight for No 2 spot against Johnson

June 17, 2019

LONDON (AP) — Contenders for leadership in Britain's Conservative Party jostled for attention Monday as the race narrowed into a contest to seize the mantle of challenger to front-runner Boris Johnson.

With Johnson solidly ahead after winning 114 of the 313 votes in first-round voting among party lawmakers, challengers sought to position themselves as the best alternative to the former foreign secretary. The goal is to win the coveted second slot on the postal ballot being sent to Conservative Party members nationwide — a vote that will decide the next leader and the next prime minister.

"This is a two-horse race and we know one of the horses: Boris," said International Development Secretary Rory Stewart at a campaign event for political journalists. "There is literally only one question you have to answer — who is likely to beat Boris?"

The contest will choose a replacement for Prime Minister Theresa May, who stepped down as party leader earlier this month after failing to secure Parliament's approval for her European Union divorce deal.

The House of Commons' 313 Conservative Party lawmakers will winnow the field of contenders in a series of leadership votes this week, with the final two names put to a postal vote of about 160,000 Conservative members nationwide. The winner is set to be announced in July.

A leading figure in the 2016 campaign to leave the European Union, Johnson wants Britain to withdraw from the EU on Oct. 31, with or without a withdrawal agreement that some economists warn is needed to prevent chaos. He also threatened to withhold a 39 billion pound ($50 billion) divorce payment if the EU digs in its heels.

Unlike his more polished challengers, Johnson's appeal comes in part from his rumpled suits, unruly hair and colorful — if sometimes offensive — turns of phrase. He has called Papua New Guineans cannibals and once compared Muslim women who wear face-covering veils to the sturdy red "letter boxes" on Britain's streets.

Those statements also have led some to question whether he could be trusted in high office. Hoping to avoid a campaign de-railing gaffe, his team is rationing his appearances. He evaded media scrutiny for a second day Monday, skipping a series of campaign events. A day earlier, he also missed Channel 4's television debate between the candidates, prompting the broadcaster to place an empty lectern on the debate stage.

With more to lose than gain, Johnson's absence is frustrating his opponents — all of whom want a chance to take him on directly. Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt suggested in a tweet that Johnson should step forward and face the others in public forums.

"Hopefully someone will summon up some Churchillian courage and come along too. #intothelionsden," Hunt said. Fellow contender Michael Gove compared Boris's refusal to attend Sunday's debate or Monday's media events as "Hamlet without the prince."

"And of course we all remember that at the end of 'Hamlet,' he isn't the king. . It ain't over till it's over," he said. Meanwhile, Johnson's bid to become Britain's next prime minister was bolstered by fresh support when Health Secretary Matt Hancock backed his candidacy. Hancock argued his former rival's "unique personality" would help rally support around a deal to leave the EU.

"Having considered all the options, I'm backing Boris Johnson as the best candidate to unite the Conservative Party, so we can deliver Brexit and then unite the country behind an open, ambitious, forward-looking agenda, delivered with the energy that gets stuff done," Hancock wrote in op-ed in The Times of London.

UK Tories warned not to crown Boris Johnson without a fight

June 16, 2019

LONDON (AP) — Candidates seeking to beat favorite Boris Johnson and become Britain's next prime minister warned Sunday that the Conservative Party needs a real leadership contest, not just a coronation for the flamboyant front-runner.

Johnson, a former foreign secretary who has run a deliberately low-profile leadership campaign, was accused of trying to avoid scrutiny after he refused to take part in a televised debate Sunday night among the six candidates still in the race.

An instantly recognizable figure, famous for his Latin quips and unruly blond hair, Johnson is admired by many Conservatives for his ability to energize voters. But others mistrust him for his long record of misleading and false statements, verbal blunders and erratic performance in high office.

International Development Secretary Rory Stewart, one of the contenders, said there was "a problem of trust" with Johnson. "Who do you trust to be your prime minister?" Stewart told the BBC. "How is Boris going to deliver Brexit? He keeps saying 'I am going to deliver it.' I don't even know what he believes. He won't talk to me. He won't talk to you. He won't talk to the public."

Johnson, a former London mayor, has a commanding lead after last week's first round of voting by Tory lawmakers in the contest to replace Theresa May. She stepped down as party leader earlier this month after failing to secure Parliament's backing for her European Union divorce deal.

He got another boost Sunday, gaining the backing of Esther McVey, one of three candidates eliminated race last week. The 313 Tory lawmakers in the House of Commons are set to narrow the field of candidates in a series of votes this week, with the final two names put to a postal vote of about 160,000 Conservative members nationwide.

The winner, who will become party leader and prime minister, is due to be announced in late July. But some in the party say the membership vote could be skipped if Johnson is so far ahead that he looks unlikely to be beaten.

Others argue that would be a big mistake. May became prime minister in 2016 without a party vote, after all her rivals dropped out of the race. Critics say a more robust contest would have exposed her flaws as a leader before she got the top job.

Home Secretary Sajid Javid, who is also running, said that "as Conservatives, we should embrace competition over coronation." In addition to Johnson, Javid and Stewart, other contenders include Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, Environment Secretary Michael Gove and ex-Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab.

The leadership contest has been dominated by the topic of Brexit, with all the candidates promising to succeed where May failed and lead Britain out of the EU. The U.K. was originally due to leave the bloc on March 29, but Brexit has been delayed to Oct. 31 because of the political deadlock in London.

Johnson has won support from many Brexit-backing Conservatives by vowing to "get Brexit done," either by renegotiating May's rejected Brexit deal or by leaving the EU on Oct. 31 without an agreement. But Johnson has avoided answering tough questions about his plans. The EU says it will not reopen the Brexit divorce agreement, and many economists and businesses say a no-deal exit would cause economic turmoil by ripping up the rules that govern trade between Britain and the EU.

Critics also say Johnson's political record is tainted by blunders and outright lies. During the country's 2016 EU membership referendum, he campaigned on the inaccurate claim that Britain sends 350 million pounds ($444 million) a week to the EU.

In 2017, when he was foreign secretary, he said incorrectly that a British-Iranian woman imprisoned in Iran was a journalist, damaging attempts to secure her release. His language has also frequently given offense. Johnson has called Papua New Guineans "cannibals," referred to people in Commonwealth countries with the offensive term "piccaninnies" and last year compared Muslim women who wear face-covering veils to "letter boxes."

Last week Johnson apologized for any offense his words had caused, but also claimed they had often been taken out of context. Johnson has given few media interviews since he began his leadership campaign, and declined to take part in Sunday's Channel 4 debate alongside all the other candidates. He has agreed to participate in a BBC debate on Tuesday, once the field of candidates has been reduced by a second round of voting earlier in the day.

Defense Minister Tobias Ellwood said Sunday that so far Johnson "seems to be the runaway winner." "But the question is, though, do we just allow him to walk across to the touchline and put the ball down and have that coronation? I don't think that's right," Ellwood told Sky News. "I actually want to see Boris tested. The nation is watching this."

Boris Johnson takes strong lead in race for next UK leader

June 13, 2019

LONDON (AP) — The flamboyant, divisive Boris Johnson took a commanding lead Thursday in the contest to become Britain's next prime minister, winning by far the largest share of support in the first round of voting by Conservative Party lawmakers.

Johnson, a former foreign secretary and leading Brexit campaigner, secured 114 of the 313 votes cast by Conservatives in the House of Commons, a ballot that reduced the field of candidates from 10 to seven . His successor as foreign secretary, Jeremy Hunt, trailed with 43 votes, followed by Environment Secretary Michael Gove with 37.

The result exceeded the expectations of Johnson's team and makes him almost certain to be among the final two candidates who will be put to a vote of 160,000 party members nationwide. The winner will become both the new Conservative Party leader and Britain's next prime minister.

Johnson thanked supporters and tweeted: "I am delighted to win the first ballot, but we have a long way to go." Three candidates were eliminated. Lawmakers Esther McVey, Mark Harper and Andrea Leadsom all failed to reach the threshold of 17 votes needed to get to the next round.

The contest is dominated by the issue of Britain's stalled departure from the European Union, with all the contenders promising to succeed where departing Prime Minister Theresa May failed and lead the country out of the bloc.

May quit as party leader last week after failing to secure Parliament's backing for her Brexit divorce deal. Britain's EU departure was originally due to take place on March 29, but has been delayed to Oct. 31 because of the political deadlock in London.

Johnson vowed Wednesday that as prime minister he would "get Brexit done," either by renegotiating May's rejected Brexit deal or by leaving the EU on Oct. 31 without an agreement. "Delay means defeat" for the Conservatives, he said.

EU leaders, however, are adamant that the agreement won't be altered, and economists warn that a no-deal departure would cause major economic disruption for the U.K. and the EU economies. Johnson made a failed attempt to become prime minister three years ago in a contest won by May. This time around, his tough line on the EU has won him the support of many Brexiteers in the Conservative Party, who prioritize leaving the bloc above all other issues.

He's also being backed by Conservative moderates on Europe, who calculate that he's the most likely leader to win a future U.K. general election in which the Conservatives will be squeezed by Nigel Farage's newly founded Brexit Party on the right and the opposition Labor Party on the left.

But rivals argue that Johnson's record of misleading or untrue statements, verbal blunders and haphazard performance in high office make him unfit to lead the country. During the country's 2016 EU membership referendum, Johnson campaigned on the inaccurate claim that Britain sends the EU some 350 million pounds ($444 million) a week, money that could instead be spent on the nation's National Health Service.

In 2017, when he was foreign secretary, he said incorrectly that a British-Iranian woman imprisoned in Iran was a journalist, damaging attempts to secure her release. Johnson also faced criticism last year for comparing Muslim women who wear face-covering veils to "letter boxes."

After Thursday's result was announced, Hunt tweeted: "The stakes have rarely been higher for our country. This serious moment calls for a serious leader." Conservative legislators will hold further elimination rounds of votes next week until two contenders remain. Those two names will then be put to a postal ballot of party members, with the winner due to be announced the week of July 22.

In addition to Johnson, Hunt and Gove, four other contenders remain in the race: ex-Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab, Home Secretary Sajid Javid, Health Secretary Matt Hancock and International Development Secretary Rory Stewart.

Stewart, who came seventh with 19 votes, said he was delighted to still be in the race. His call for compromise on Brexit and his refusal to support a no-deal exit make him a longshot. But he has run a clever, energetic campaign, traveling the country and appealing directly to voters as he positioned himself as the "anti-Boris" candidate.

"I feel really inspired and encouraged and desperate to do more for the people who are supporting me out there," Stewart said.

Who are the 10 Tories running to be UK prime minister?

June 10, 2019

LONDON (AP) — Britain is set to get a new prime minister, but only members of the Conservative Party have a say in the decision. The Conservatives are holding an election to replace Prime Minister Theresa May, who resigned as party leader last week after failing to lead Britain out of the European Union on schedule.

After the close of nominations on Monday, 10 lawmakers were officially running to succeed her:

— BORIS JOHNSON, 54: The former London mayor and foreign secretary adores the limelight and courts the media, tousling his blond hair to make it even more unruly and peppering his speeches with jokes, quips and Latin phrases. One of Britain's best-known politicians, he is popular with rank-and-file Conservative Party members who think he has the popular touch, and is currently the bookies' favorite to replace May.

A leading figure in the 2016 campaign to leave the European Union, Johnson takes a tough line on Brexit. He has vowed that Britain will quit the EU on Oct. 31 with or without an agreement, and threatened to withhold an agreed 39 billion pound ($50 billion) divorce payment if the bloc plays hardball. He's also promising a tax cut for middle- and high-income earners.

— JEREMY HUNT, 52: Hunt has held a variety of government posts and has been foreign secretary since Johnson resigned in JuIy over Brexit. Regarded as even-tempered and competent, he managed to navigate a heated contract dispute with doctors in the National Health Service when he was health secretary, securing a deal after a long-standing argument. Though an excellent communicator, some doubt he is flashy enough to excite the electorate.

Hunt backed the losing "remain" side during the 2016 EU membership referendum, but now says he will negotiate a better Brexit deal with the EU and lead the U.K. out of the bloc.

— MICHAEL GOVE, 51: Like Johnson, Gove helped lead the campaign to leave the European Union, but scuttled his friend Johnson's bid to become prime minister in 2016 when he unexpectedly withdrew support and decided to run for the job himself — a move that gives him a lingering taint of treachery in the eyes of some Conservatives.

Gove has held several posts in May's government — he's currently environment secretary — and backed her Brexit policies even as former colleagues denounced May's withdrawal deal. That hurts him among hardcore Brexiteers, who believe he went soft by supporting May's deal.

Gove is also facing pressure after acknowledging that he took cocaine more than once before entering politics.

— DOMINIC RAAB, 45: The former Brexit Secretary, who held the post from July to November, resigned in opposition to the divorce deal that May struck with the European Union. A firm Brexiteer, he says Britain has been "humiliated" by the EU and must not delay its departure beyond Oct. 31; he has even suggested he could suspend Parliament if it tried to delay or impede Brexit.

Raab also appears to be playing to the party's traditionalist wing, saying he is "probably not" a feminist and opposes making it easier for people to change their gender.

— SAJID JAVID, 48: Javid's background as the son of Pakistani immigrants sets him apart from many of the other Conservative contenders. A former banker who was elected to Parliament in 2010, he is a champion of the free-market, libertarian wing of the party.

During the Brexit referendum of 2016, Javid was on the "remain" side but has since embraced Brexit, though some Brexiteers remain suspicious of his allegiances. He says he would make getting a new deal with the EU his "absolute priority" and does not favor walking away without an agreement.

As home secretary, responsible for immigration and borders, he has raised his profile in recent months by taking aggressive action to curtail the arrival of small boats carrying migrants across the English Channel.

— MATT HANCOCK, 40: Health Secretary Matt Hancock pitches himself as the face of a younger, modernizing generation in the Conservative Party. Promising to deliver an energizing blend of social liberalism and economic dynamism, he says the Conservatives have to look beyond Brexit — a message that may be coming too soon for many in the party.

— ANDREA LEADSOM, 56: Leadsom, who campaigned in 2016 to leave the EU, quit as leader of the House of Commons last month over opposition to May's Brexit deal, helping to ensure the prime minister's downfall. She ran against May for Tory leader in 2016, quitting the race after receiving harsh criticism for saying motherhood helped make her qualified to lead; May has no children.

Leadsom rejects May's divorce agreement and says Britain should leave the EU on Oct. 31 with a series of mini-deals to ensure trade and travel can continue. Critics say this is wishful thinking since the bloc will not agree.

— RORY STEWART, 46: A longshot candidate, International Development Secretary Rory Stewart has seen his profile soar with a savvy campaign that saw him travelling the country talking to voters, and producing endearingly amateurish social media videos. He has the most eye-catching background of any candidate: a sometime tutor to Princes William and Harry, Stewart once walked across Afghanistan and was deputy governor of a province in Iraq after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion.

A former supporter of remaining in the EU, he now backs Brexit but appeals for compromise, saying Britain can't realistically leave the bloc without a divorce deal. He has slammed the promises of Johnson and other Brexit-backers as unrealistic and calls himself the "anti-Boris" candidate.

— ESTHER McVEY, 51: A former TV presenter and Cabinet minister, McVey is an uncompromising Brexiteer and says she has the skills to connect with blue-collar Conservatives. She says Britain must leave the EU on Oct. 31 no matter what and, like Raab, she hasn't ruled out suspending Parliament to force through a no-deal Brexit.

— MARK HARPER, 49: A former Conservative whip in Parliament, Harper is one of the lesser-known contenders. He is trying to turn that to his advantage, arguing that he represents a clean break from May's administration, which has tried and failed to deliver Brexit.

Nominations set to close in race to be next UK leader

June 10, 2019

LONDON (AP) — Nominations close Monday in the Brexit-dominated race to become Britain's next prime minister, a contest that will be decided by lawmakers and members of the governing Conservative Party.

With a 5 p.m. (1600 GMT, noon EDT) deadline to submit nomination papers, almost a dozen contenders were already battling it out over tax policy, past drug use — and, of course, Britain's stalled departure from the European Union.

The winner will face the challenge of breaking Britain's impasse over Brexit, an issue that has bedeviled politicians for three years and ultimately defeated outgoing Prime Minister Theresa May.

May stepped down Friday as Conservative leader after failing to secure Parliament's backing for her EU withdrawal deal. She will remain caretaker prime minister until the party picks its new leader, a process expected to take until late July.

Eleven candidates have declared they are running, including former Cabinet minister Boris Johnson, Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt and Environment Secretary Michael Gove. For all of them, the key issue is Brexit. The Conservatives have been hammered in recent European and local elections as voters punish the party for failing to leave the 28-nation EU.

"Our failure to deliver Brexit has put our country and party in grave peril," Hunt said as he officially launched his campaign on Monday. "Without Brexit there will be no Conservative government and maybe no Conservative Party."

The candidates divide into those, including Hunt, who say they will prioritize finding a divorce deal that's acceptable both to the EU and to Parliament, and hard-core Brexit backers such as Johnson who say the U.K. must leave on the scheduled date of Oct. 31. — with or without a deal.

Gove, one of the front-runners, is trying to limit fallout from his admission of long-ago cocaine use, which has brought allegations that the former justice secretary — who oversaw a system that sends drug users to prison — is a hypocrite.

Most of the other contenders have also confessed to past use of drugs. In most cases it involved marijuana, although International Development Secretary Rory Stewart said he smoked opium at a wedding in Iran 15 years ago.

The contest's winner will be chosen in a two-stage process. First, the 313 Conservative lawmakers will vote in a series of rounds starting Thursday, with the worst performers dropping out until only two candidates remain. The final two will be put to a postal vote among the 160,000 Conservative Party members in the country.

The favorite on betting markets is Johnson, a former foreign secretary with an instantly recognizable mop of blond hair and a knack for entertaining the public. He says he will take Britain out of the bloc without a deal if necessary, and on Monday promised a tax cut for millions of middle- and high-income Britons.

Unlike the other candidates, Johnson hasn't given television interviews or held any public events, as his campaign team tries to avoid gaffes that could spoil his front-runner status. Several candidates appeared to take aim at Johnson in comments Monday.

"We won't deliver Brexit with bluff and bluster," said former Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab, who is competing with Johnson for the support of hardcore Brexiteers. Hunt said the party needed a "serious leader."

"We need tough negotiation, not empty rhetoric," he said.

Third candidate for UK prime minister reveals past drug use

June 08, 2019

LONDON (AP) — Britain's environment secretary acknowledged using cocaine on "several occasions" two decades ago, the latest politician hoping to become prime minister to reveal past drug use to circumvent negative headlines during what is expected to be a heated contest.

Environment Secretary Michael Gove, 51, told the Daily Mail that using cocaine was a mistake and "something I deeply regret," but he didn't think it should exclude him from office, the newspaper reported Saturday. An upcoming biography of Gove includes the revelation of his drug use.

Gove is just the latest Conservative Party candidate in the crowded race to replace Prime Minister Theresa May to go public with confessions about using illegal substances. In recent days, Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt told the Times of London he drank a "cannabis lassi" in his youth while backpacking in India. International Development Secretary Rory Stewart told the Telegraph he smoked opium at a wedding in Iran 15 years ago.

May stepped down as party leader Friday, conceding she had failed in her attempt to withdraw the country from the European Union. She remains prime minister and is leading the government in a caretaker capacity until her successor is chosen.

So far, 11 lawmakers have announced they plan to seek the post of Conservative Party leader. The head of the party that won the most recent election typically serves as prime minister. Nominations for the Conservative's leader close Monday afternoon.

The issue of drug use has long been an issue in political campaigns. In 1992, U.S. presidential hopeful Bill Clinton famously said he tried marijuana while at Oxford University but "didn't inhale." The remark became the subject of derision, including by then-Sen. Barack Obama, who said in 2006: "When I was a kid, I inhaled. ... That was the point."

But as the Conservative leadership campaign heats up, it remains unclear how party members will receive the news. The favorite on betting markets is Boris Johnson, a former foreign secretary and the head of the 2016 referendum campaign to leave the EU. Johnson told GQ in 2007 he had tried cocaine and cannabis.

"There was a period before university when I had quite a few (cannabis joints)," he said. "It was jolly nice. But apparently it is very different these days. Much stronger. "I've become very illiberal about it. I don't want my kids to take drugs," Johnson added.

Dominic Raab, another contender for party leader, previously admitted smoking cannabis as a student. He told the BBC he admired Gove's honesty. "I'm not going to cast any further aspersions on Michael or anyone else who is just honest about being human and doing the things that some young people do - not everyone, obviously - and holding their hand up and saying 'I got that wrong,'" Raab said. "Move on."

After hearing pitches from all of the leadership contenders early next week, Conservative members of the House of Commons will vote by secret ballot on Thursday. Any candidates who fail to receive the backing of at least 5% of the lawmakers will have to drop out. Further rounds will be held later in the month until only two contestants remain.

The Conservative Party's 160,000 dues-paying members will vote on the final two candidates to pick the next party leader, who will also become prime minister.

Social Democrats appear headed back into power in Denmark

June 06, 2019

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — The Social Democrats emerged as Denmark's biggest party in elections Wednesday, with preliminary results indicating gains for left-leaning parties and a big loss for populists.

If confirmed in final returns, the outcome pointed to the Social Democrats returning to power after four years as the country's leading opposition party. The Social Democrats got about 25.9% of the votes after a campaign in which party leaders vowed a tough stance against immigration.

Mette Frederiksen, the party's leader, said late Wednesday that the Social Democrats will try to govern as a minority rather than form a governing coalition with smaller parties. It will seek support from the right on some issues, such as immigration, and from the left on other matters, such as social welfare, she said.

Although Frederiksen won't try to form a coalition, other left-leaning parties that increased their vote shares will likely support her effort to form a government to avoid the center-right from getting a chance. The Social Democrats and other left-of-center parties appear headed to having one more vote than a majority in the 179-seat parliament, the Folketing.

With nearly 100 percent of the votes counted, the Liberal Party of Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen showed a slight gain from four years ago. But the populist Danish People's Party, which often voted with the center-right Liberals, was hit with a big drop in support, meaning Loekke Rasmussen can no longer muster a majority in parliament.

The Danish People's Party's performance was a contrast to some other European countries, where far-right populists have been on the rise. The party was the second-largest party in the outgoing parliament, but its vote share plunged to about 9% Wednesday, compared to 21.1% in 2015.

Loekke Rasmussen conceded defeat and would resign Thursday. "You have chosen that Denmark should have a new majority, that Denmark should take a new direction," Frederiksen said told a jubilant crowd at parliament. "And you have chosen that Denmark should have a new government."

At age 41, Frederiksen could become Denmark's youngest-ever prime minister. "The election campaign is now over. It's time to find solutions," she said. Many Danish People's Party voters have drifted to the Social Democrats, mainly because of it readopting tough views on immigration. The party advocated restricting immigrants in the 1980s and 1990s but softened its position later while in a coalition with left-wing parties.

Its lawmakers voted for several laws introduced by Loekke Rasmussen's government to tighten immigration. "This is really, really bad," People's Party leader Kristian Thulesen Dahl said of his loss at the polls, but he said the party would not change its politics.

The Hardliner Course party didn't cross the 2% threshold needed to enter Parliament. The New Right, another openly anti-Muslim group that also fielded candidates for the first time, will be in the legislature after getting 2.4% of the votes.

This story has been corrected to show that the name of leader of the Danish People's Party is spelled Kristian Thulesen Dahl.