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Tory leadership: Johnson says party on 'final warning' | Tory leadership: Johnson says party on 'final warning' |
(32 minutes later) | |
Boris Johnson, the front-runner in the Tory leadership race, has said the party risks being "dismissed" if it does not deliver Brexit. | Boris Johnson, the front-runner in the Tory leadership race, has said the party risks being "dismissed" if it does not deliver Brexit. |
Writing in In the Daily Telegraph, he said voters in the EU election issued a "crushing rebuke" to the Conservatives. | Writing in In the Daily Telegraph, he said voters in the EU election issued a "crushing rebuke" to the Conservatives. |
Fellow candidate, Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, said the party faces an "existential risk" over Brexit. | Fellow candidate, Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, said the party faces an "existential risk" over Brexit. |
Eight candidates have declared they are standing for leader, after Theresa May said she would resign. | Eight candidates have declared they are standing for leader, after Theresa May said she would resign. |
Mr Johnson said voters had issued the party with a "final warning" as the Tories came fourth in Hillingdon, where he is an MP, and the Brexit Party emerged with the largest number of MEPs overall. | Mr Johnson said voters had issued the party with a "final warning" as the Tories came fourth in Hillingdon, where he is an MP, and the Brexit Party emerged with the largest number of MEPs overall. |
He said: "If we go on like this, we will be fired: dismissed from the job of running the country." | He said: "If we go on like this, we will be fired: dismissed from the job of running the country." |
Mr Hunt said on Twitter that the "painful result" meant there was an "existential risk to our party unless we now come together and get Brexit done". | Mr Hunt said on Twitter that the "painful result" meant there was an "existential risk to our party unless we now come together and get Brexit done". |
With some results still to declare, the overnight count has seen Conservative voters deserting the party in droves, with the party so far scoring less than 10% of the total vote - compared to nearly 25% in the last EU election. | With some results still to declare, the overnight count has seen Conservative voters deserting the party in droves, with the party so far scoring less than 10% of the total vote - compared to nearly 25% in the last EU election. |
BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg said it was the worst performance for the Conservatives as a party since 1832. | BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg said it was the worst performance for the Conservatives as a party since 1832. |
Mr Johnson said the message from the results was clear for the Conservatives and the party risked a "permanent haemorrhage" of support. | Mr Johnson said the message from the results was clear for the Conservatives and the party risked a "permanent haemorrhage" of support. |
The only way to avoid that outcome, he said, was to "come out of the EU; and that means doing it properly." | The only way to avoid that outcome, he said, was to "come out of the EU; and that means doing it properly." |
The leadership race began when Mrs May announced she would stand down as Tory leader on 7 June, saying it was time for another prime minister to try to deliver Brexit. | The leadership race began when Mrs May announced she would stand down as Tory leader on 7 June, saying it was time for another prime minister to try to deliver Brexit. |
So far eight candidates have said they want to run for the Tory leadership. | So far eight candidates have said they want to run for the Tory leadership. |
Environment secretary Michael Gove and former Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab declared on Sunday, joining Matt Hancock, Jeremy Hunt, Boris Johnson, Esther McVey, Andrea Leadsom and Rory Stewart. | Environment secretary Michael Gove and former Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab declared on Sunday, joining Matt Hancock, Jeremy Hunt, Boris Johnson, Esther McVey, Andrea Leadsom and Rory Stewart. |
Attitudes toward a no-deal Brexit are sharply divided, with several candidates saying they are prepared to let the UK leave the EU on the new deadline on 31 October without a deal if necessary. | Attitudes toward a no-deal Brexit are sharply divided, with several candidates saying they are prepared to let the UK leave the EU on the new deadline on 31 October without a deal if necessary. |
In his Telegraph column, Mr Johnson said that "no-one sensible" would aim exclusively for a no-deal Brexit. | In his Telegraph column, Mr Johnson said that "no-one sensible" would aim exclusively for a no-deal Brexit. |
But he added that "no-one responsible would take no-deal off the table". | But he added that "no-one responsible would take no-deal off the table". |
Mr Raab told the BBC he would fight for a "fairer" Brexit deal with the EU - but if that were not possible, the UK would leave with no deal in October. | |
And Mr Gove confirmed he would run to "deliver Brexit" and unite the party. | |
Other candidates have stressed the need to get a Brexit deal passed in Parliament. | |
Writing in the Times, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said Conservatives had to deliver Brexit through Parliament, "whether we like it or not". | |
He added: "The brutal truth is that plans that cannot command the confidence of parliament would risk a general election. We would be punished for our failure to deliver Brexit and under any leader this would risk Corbyn by Christmas." |