AFP, LONDONThe UK’s leadership contest was yesterday rocked by reports that police were called to a late-night “row” between front-runner Boris Johnson and his partner, just hours before campaigning opened to win over grassroots Conservatives. Whoever takes the Conservative Party leadership in the week beginning July 22 — and therefore becomes prime minister — would then face the looming Brexit deadline of Oct. 31. The battle is likely to feature pledges from both contenders to take the UK out of the EU safely and in one piece, succeeding where outgoing British Prime Minister Theresa May repeatedly failed. With arch-Brexiteer Nigel Farage’s new Brexit Party ahead in the polls, Johnson is widely viewed as the one Conservative who could compete in the party’s heartlands. A poll for the Daily Telegraph — for which Johnson writes a column — showed six out of 10 Brexit Party backers jumping over to the Conservatives should the man known simply as Boris take charge.

Source: Taipei Times June 22, 2019 15:56 UTC