First 100 days seen key as polls indicate Johnson set to win party vote

London

SURVEYS of Tory member voters indicate that Boris Johnson is all but certain to be Britain's next prime minister. As ballot papers arrived for some 160,000 registered voters, a You Gov/Times poll on Saturday indicated that 74 per cent of members backed Mr Johnson against only 26 per cent for Jeremy Hunt, foreign secretary.

The overwhelming view of political commentators and MPs is that Mr Johnson's first 100 days will be the key to potential success. His first task, before moving to counter a declining uncertain economy and pursuing other policies, is to achieve a Brexit deal. During the leadership campaign, Mr Johnson has promised that a new negotiating team will insist on meeting with European Union leaders and officials to renegotiate a key aspect of Theresa May's failed withdrawal accord. He has specified that if the EU authorities fail to be flexible, the UK will leave the Union without a deal and hold back a sizeable proportion of Mrs May's promised £39 billion (S$67 billion) withdrawal payment to the EU.