Boris Johnson is on the threshold of achieving his childhood dream of becoming PM today after the Tories installed him as their new leader.
The front runner was declared the winner of the bruising battle against Jeremy Hunt as the two sat side-by-side in a dramatic ceremony at the Queen Elizabeth II centre in Westminster.
Family members including father Stanley, sister Rachel and brother Jo were among those in the audience to hear the news that he had secured per cent of the votes from activists. However, there was no sign of girlfriend Carrie Symonds.
Mr Johnson – whose ambition as a boy was to be ‘World King’ – has already been plotting the first frantic phase of his premiership.
Allies are determined to forge ahead with multi-billion pound promises to cut taxes – even if it means increasing government borrowing.
However, Mr Johnson is also facing a potentially catastrophic Tory mutiny as MPs mobilise against his ‘do or die’ vow to secure Brexit by Halloween – even if it means crashing out without an agreement.
Education minister Anne Milton quit this morning in advance of Mr Johnson’s expected coronation, saying she had ‘grave concerns’ and could not fall into line with his Brexit policy.
Justice Secretary David Gauke – another of around half-a-dozen ministers who have said they will resign rather than serve under Mr Johnson – issued a stark warning this morning that Parliament will find a way to block No Deal.
After Sir Alan Duncan quit as Foreign Office minister yesterday in an abortive effort to force a confidence vote to block Mr Johnson becoming PM, the leadership front runner embarked on a charm offensive.
He held talks with Chancellor Philip Hammond and Mr Gauke last night, but while discussions were ‘friendly’ they did not back down on their opposition to No Deal.
Contenders Boris Johnson and Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt sat side by side to hear the dramatic vote result today
Barring a last-minute shock, Boris Johnson (pictured in London today) is set to be named as the Conservative Party’s new leader this morning
Mr Johnson’s father Stanley (left) and sister Rachel were among those gathering to hear the Tory leadership result in Westminster today
Mr Johnson is expected to emerge victorious from a bruising six-week contest against Jeremy Hunt (pictured arriving for the result with wife Lucia)
Sources in Mr Johnson’s camp are predicting he will secure more than 60 per cent of the vote, giving him a ‘free hand’ to sack his enemies and steer the Tories on a new course.
He has planned a short acceptance speech in which he will repeat his campaign pledge to take Britain out of the EU on October 31, with or without a deal, and urge his party to turn its guns on Jeremy Corbyn.
But he is also expected to make an appeal for party unity following a fractious campaign which has seen Tory Remainers vow to bring down his government if he tries to pursue a No Deal exit.
Yesterday, Sir Alan – Mr Johnson’s former deputy – dramatically quit as Foreign Office minister in an apparent bid to prevent him becoming PM.
Sir Alan, a long-time critic of Mr Johnson, invoked the Queen as he attempted to force a confidence vote in the Commons today – but the move was ruled out by the Speaker John Bercow.
International development secretary Rory Stewart also informed Mr Johnson yesterday that he would be resigning from the Cabinet before he takes power, following the lead set by Philip Hammond and justice secretary David Gauke.
Mr Stewart indicated he would join the band of Remainer rebels on the Tory backbenches, saying: ‘There is a majority of two, and I have at least three friends.’
Mr Gauke told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme he believed there were ‘parliamentary mechanisms’ that could prevent No Deal which would ‘not necessarily’ involve bringing down a Johnson administration.
He stressed that he would not vote against a Tory government in a motion of no confidence if it was heading towards a no-deal Brexit.
But Mr Gauke warned: ‘There is a clear majority in the House of Commons that doesn’t want to leave the EU without a deal; I think that will become very clear in the autumn.’
In all, up to a dozen ministers are expected to jump ship in the next 36 hours before Mr Johnson officially becomes PM tomorrow afternoon.
Allies of Mr Johnson insist he is determined to ensure his premiership is not only about Brexit.
They want to push a new insurance system for social care, boost schools funding and increase the higher tax threshold to £80,000.
During the campaign Mr Johnson made spending pledges that have been calculated at more than £26billion – the estimated headroom Mr Hammond left in the public finances to account for Brexit disruption.
He wants to raise the national Insurance threshold to £12,500 to help low earners, which would cost around £11billion, increase the minimum wage, and cut stamp duty.
But supporters of Mr Johnson told the Telegraph he would press ahead with key policies by borrowing if necessary.
‘We are talking about a fiscal loosening of less than 1 per cent of total public spending. It would do a lot to get things moving for the middle classes, to get them spending more money,’ one aide said.
A former minister in Mr Johnson’s camp added: ‘In order to honour Boris’s spending pledges, the next budget is going to have to put a temporary freeze on deficit reduction.
‘Of course it is important to continue fixing the roof but there is going to have to be some flexibility there to give the economy the post-Brexit boost that it needs.’
On the eve of what is likely to be a dramatic few days, former prime ministers Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and John Major warned Mr Johnson that pursuing a No Deal Brexit would end in disaster.
Newly elected Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson also predicted she could become prime minister if Mr Johnson is forced to call a snap election this year.
If Mr Johnson is elected as Tory leader today he will formally become prime minister tomorrow.
Mrs May will take a final session of PMQs in the Commons before travelling to Buckingham palace to inform the Queen of her resignation.
Whitehall sources said that, despite the government’s slender majority, Her Majesty is then expected to send for Mr Johnson.
The former foreign secretary will then begin an immediate Cabinet reshuffle.
Casualties are expected to include Mrs May’s deputy David Lidington, the business secretary Greg Clark and the Northern Ireland secretary Karen Bradley.
Mr Johnson is then preparing to make a Commons statement setting out his programme for government on Thursday, just hours before MPs break up for the long summer recess.
Former Brexit secretary Dominic Raab, who is expected to join the Cabinet, last night played down the prospect of a serious mutiny against the new leader by Tory MPs.
Education minister Anne Milton became the latest to resign over Mr Johnson’s Brexit policy today saying she had ‘grave’ concerns about No Deal
He added: ‘I think the number of troublemakers will be relatively few because it will be so obviously self-indulgent.’ But attitudes among Tory MPs opposed to a No Deal Brexit appeared to be hardening last night.
Mr Stewart revealed that he had been invited for talks with Mr Johnson, but had told him he would rather quit his Cabinet job than serve in a Government prepared to contemplate a No Deal Brexit. Earlier, Sir Alan resigned with a warning that Brexit had placed a ‘dark cloud’ over the country.
New Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson ‘will steal Tory votes if Boris tries to force No Deal’
Jo Swinson (pictured) was last night elected as the first ever female leader of the Liberal Democrats
New Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson will succeed in stealing Tory Remain voters if Boris Johnson tries to force No Deal, a Cabinet minister warned today.
Justice Secretary David Gauke said taking a hard line on Brexit would leave the party ‘significantly out of touch’ with many of its traditional supporters.
Ms Swinson was last night elected as the first ever female leader of the Liberal Democrats after she inflicted a crushing defeat on her challenger Sir Ed Davey.
The 39-year-old mother-of-two succeeded Sir Vince Cable after she secured more than 47,000 votes in the contest with Sir Ed trailing far behind with just over 28,000.
Ms Swinson said her ‘number one priority’ as leader will be ‘stopping Boris and stopping Brexit’ – vowing to target disaffected Tory and Labour supporters.
The minister, who once described Mr Johnson as a ‘circus act’, wrote to Mr Bercow proposing a Commons vote today on Mr Johnson’s acceptability as PM.
He wrote: ‘This is the first time in our parliamentary history that the prime minister of a minority government has changed in mid-term.
‘Thus the normal assumption that the succession is automatic cannot be said to apply, and his ability to command a majority in the House should arguably be tested before the Prime Minister can safely advise the Queen who should succeed her.’
After the proposal was rejected, Sir Alan warned of a ‘constitutional crisis’ in the coming months if Mr Johnson loses a confidence vote after becoming PM.
Another rebel Tory, Philip Lee, said of Mr Johnson: ‘I don’t see how he has got a majority to govern. It’s a very, very fragile situation with only a tiny majority.’
In a series of heavyweight warnings yesterday, three former prime ministers spoke out against the risks of pursuing a no-deal Brexit.
Sir John, a high-profile critic of Mr Johnson, said: ‘The new PM must choose whether to be the spokesman for an ultra-Brexit faction, or the servant of the nation he leads.’
Mr Blair said Mr Johnson had ‘boxed himself in to a No Deal Brexit’, while Mr Brown warned of the danger of inflicting ‘peacetime self-inflicted wounds’.
New Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson will succeed in stealing Tory Remain voters if Boris Johnson tries to force No Deal, a Cabinet minister warned today.
Justice Secretary David Gauke said taking a hard line on Brexit would leave the party ‘significantly out of touch’ with many of its traditional supporters.
Ms Swinson was last night elected as the first ever female leader of the Liberal Democrats after she inflicted a crushing defeat on her challenger Sir Ed Davey.
The 39-year-old mother-of-two succeeded Sir Vince Cable after she secured more than 47,000 votes in the contest with Sir Ed trailing far behind with just over 28,000.
Ms Swinson said her ‘number one priority’ as leader will be ‘stopping Boris and stopping Brexit’ – vowing to target disaffected Tory and Labour supporters.
Could Hunt be sacked for failing to get a big enough share of vote?
Jeremy Hunt faces being sacked as foreign secretary tomorrow unless he manages to run Boris Johnson close in the Tory leadership contest.
Allies of Mr Johnson said last night that he would have a ‘free hand’ to demote his rival provided he secures at least 60 per cent of the vote when the result of the contest is revealed today.
Mr Hunt has indicated he wants to stay on as foreign secretary if his leadership bid fails. He is also said to have indicated he would accept an alternative top job, such as chancellor or deputy prime minister.
But allies of Mr Johnson are urging him to demote Mr Hunt following a fractious campaign in which he called his rival a ‘coward’.
Jeremy Hunt (pictured on Monday) is set to be sacked as foreign secretary tomorrow unless he manages to run Boris Johnson close in the Tory leadership contest
Jacob Rees-Mogg, a leading supporter of Mr Johnson, yesterday said Mr Hunt had no right to expect a top job and should stop ‘grandstanding and saying, ‘If I’m not Foreign Secretary I won’t be anything’.
The move came as Mr Johnson and his closest allies spent the day debating the make-up of his first Cabinet.
He is concerned that the reshuffle risks alienating dozens of his backers who have inflated expectations of their prospects.
He has told friends: ‘It is going to be very difficult to satisfy everyone.’
Another ally said the precise composition of Mr Johnson’s Cabinet would depend on his margin of victory. ‘The first thing is to win, the second is the scale of the victory,’ the source said.
‘If he gets 60 per cent of the vote then he has a free hand. If the lead is 10 points then he is going to be more constrained.’
Sources said the former Brexit minister Chris Heaton-Harris is being considered for the key position of chief whip, although current whips Chris Pincher and Mark Spencer are also said to be in the running.
Liz Truss, Matt Hancock and Sajid Javid are locked in a three-way battle to become Mr Johnson’s Chancellor.
And Mr Johnson is said to be agonising over what, if anything, to offer former defence secretary Gavin Williamson.