LONDON — Candidates for Britain’s next prime minister accused Boris Johnson, the presumptive front-runner, of trying to avoid scrutiny after he refused to take part in a televised debate alongside his five rivals Sunday.

“Where is Boris?” Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt asked as he and four other contenders for Conservative Party leader faced questions about how exactly they would fulfill a key promise: to lead Britain’s exit from the European Union.

Broadcaster Channel 4 left an empty lectern on the debate stage for Johnson as the participating candidates argued that they were more trustworthy than Johnson.

“I believe I’m the candidate most trusted to get us out [of the EU] by the end of October,” Dominic Raab, a former Brexit secretary, argued.

Hunt said the Conservatives must choose “a prime minister that families up and down the country trust with their future.”

Johnson, a former London mayor and foreign secretary, has a commanding lead after last week’s first round of voting by Tory lawmakers in the contest to replace Theresa May. who stepped down as party leader earlier this month.

Johnson is admired by many Conservatives for his ability to energize voters. But others mistrust him for his record of misleading and false statements, noting that he campaigned for Brexit in 2016 on the inaccurate claim that Britain sends about $444 million a week to the EU. In 2017, as foreign secretary, he said incorrectly that a British-Iranian woman imprisoned in Iran was a journalist, damaging attempts to secure her release.

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 mistake. </s> LONDON -- 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. </s> 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.

Follow AP’s full coverage of Brexit and the Conservative Party leadership race at: https://www.apnews.com/Brexit </s> British Conservative party leadership contender Boris Johnson gets in a car as he leaves his home in south London, Tuesday, June 18, 2019. Contenders for leadership in Britain’s ruling Conservative Party to become the next Prime Minister, jostled for attention Monday as the race narrowed into a contest to seize the mantle of challenger to front-runner Boris Johnson. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)

LONDON (AP) — The Latest on the voting to elect Britain’s next prime minister (all times local):

The five men competing to be Britain’s next prime minister are taking part in a televised debate where they traded barbs about who will get Britain out of the European Union fastest.

Front-runner Boris Johnson said during the Tuesday night debate that if Brexit doesn’t happen on the scheduled date of Oct. 31 there would be a “catastrophic loss of confidence in politics.”

Both Johnson and fellow contender Sajid Javid said they would opt to leave the EU without an agreement if Parliament hadn’t ratified a divorce deal by then.

The debate came just hours after Conservative Party lawmakers voted for a second time to winnow to field of candidates competing to replace Theresa May as party leader and British prime minister.

Michael Gove said a no-deal Brexit would cause “economic turbulence” but he wouldn’t rule it out. Jeremy Hunt said “it should only be a very, very last resort.”

Gove and Hunt both said they’d delay Brexit for a short time if needed to secure a deal.

The fifth contender, Rory Stewart, said “there would never be no-deal” if he was prime minister because it would be too damaging to the economy.

Boris Johnson has increased his lead in the race to become Britain’s next prime minister, as one of his rivals was eliminated from the contest.

Five contenders in all were still in the running after a second-round ballot of Conservative lawmakers on Tuesday.

Former Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab failed to reach the threshold of 33 votes needed to go on to the next round.

Tory lawmakers will vote again Wednesday and, if needed, on Thursday. The final two contenders will go to a by-mail ballot of all 160,000 Conservative Party members nationwide.

The winner will replace Theresa May as party leader and prime minister.

Conservative lawmakers in Britain are voting on who should become the party’s next leader and Britain’s next prime minister.

Six contenders, including front-runner Boris Johnson, remained before the vote on Tuesday. At least one will be eliminated in that vote.

All those aiming to replace Prime Minister Theresa May vow they will succeed where May failed and lead Britain out of the European Union, though they differ about how they plan to break the country’s Brexit deadlock.

Johnson, a former foreign secretary, gained backing from 114 of the 313 Tory legislators in the first round of voting.

In Tuesday’s vote, the lowest-placed contender will drop out, along with any who fail to get at least 33 votes.Further rounds of voting are set for Wednesday and Thursday if needed. The final two contenders will go to a postal ballot of about 160,000 Conservative Party members nationwide.

The winner, due to be announced in late July, will become party leader and prime minister.

Follow AP’s full coverage of Brexit and the Conservative Party leadership race at: https://www.apnews.com/Brexit </s> British Conservative Party lawmaker Boris Johnson leaves his home in London, Thursday, June 13, 2019. Britain’s Conservative Party is holding an election to replace Prime Minister Theresa May, who resigned last week after failing to lead Britain out of the European Union on schedule. Former Foreign Minister Boris Johnson is currently the bookies favorite to replace May. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)

LONDON (AP) — One of seven contenders to replace British Prime Minister Theresa May quit the Conservative Party leadership race on Friday, as front-runner Boris Johnson was accused by rivals of trying to dodge media scrutiny.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said that after the first round of voting it was clear he did not have the backing to win. He came fifth in a vote Thursday among 313 Conservative lawmakers, with 20 votes.

Johnson, a former foreign secretary, won Thursday’s ballot with 114 votes, more than the next three candidates combined.

Hancock did not say whom he planned to support.

The 40-year-old had pitched 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. But his message failed to gain much traction in a party consumed with Britain’s stalled departure from the European Union.

Hancock said he had run as the “candidate of the future” but found that “the party, understandably, is focused very much on the here and now and how we get through Brexit.”

The Conservative Party is holding a contest to replace Prime Minister Theresa May, who quit as party leader last week after failing to secure Parliament’s backing for her divorce deal with the EU.

Tory legislators will hold more elimination votes next week, with the final two contenders put to a vote of 160,000 Conservative Party members nationwide. The winner, due to be announced in late July, will become Conservative leader and prime minister.

Johnson’s commanding lead makes him almost certain to be in the final two. The flamboyant former London mayor is admired by many Conservatives for his ability to energize voters, but is also widely mistrusted for his record of misleading statements, verbal blunders and haphazard performance in high office.

Johnson has vowed 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.

But Johnson has not answered many tough questions about his plans. The EU says it will not reopen the divorce agreement, and many economists say a no-deal exit would cause economic turmoil.

All the remaining candidates, apart from Johnson, say they will take part in TV debates on Sunday and Tuesday.

Johnson signaled he was unlikely to take part in Sunday’s Channel 4 program, saying debates with “loads of candidates” could be “slightly cacophonous.”

But he said he would take part in a BBC debate on Tuesday evening, once the field of candidates has been reduced by a second round of voting.

Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, who is in second place, said a prospective national leader should not be “hiding away from the media.”

In addition to Johnson and Hunt, those still in the race are Environment Secretary Michael Gove, ex-Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab, Home Secretary Sajid Javid and International Development Secretary Rory Stewart.

Follow AP’s full coverage of Brexit and the Conservative Party leadership race at: https://www.apnews.com/Brexit </s> LONDON (Reuters) - Boris Johnson got a fresh boost in the race to become Britain’s prime minister on Tuesday when a another former rival in the race backed him to lead the country out of its Brexit crisis.

Hours before the six contenders were due to be whittled down by the party’s lawmakers, Andrea Leadsom declared her support for Johnson, the clear favorite.

“He is the best placed to get us out of the EU at the end of October,” Leadsom, a former leader of the House of Commons who was eliminated from the contest last week, told LBC radio. “Secondly, I do believe he is an election winner.”

On Monday, health minister Matt Hancock, who quit the race on Friday, also backed Johnson, despite their contrasting views on Brexit.

Johnson, a former London mayor and foreign minister, says he will take Britain out of the European Union by Oct. 31 whether or not there is a deal with Brussels to smooth the transition, potentially setting up a fight with parliament.

Sterling fell to its lowest level against the U.S. dollar in nearly six months as investors worried about the prospect of a big Brexit shock to the world’s fifth-biggest economy.

“It looks like Boris Johnson is going to be the next prime minister unless there is a big surprise and that indicates a looming confrontation with the European Union,” said Lee Hardman, a FX strategist at MUFG in London.

A Bank of England policymaker said he was worried about the risk of capital flight which had grown since the Brexit referendum three years ago.

“Right now the stock of foreign funding is potentially more flighty than it was in 2016,” Anil Kashyap, a member of the BoE’s Financial Policy Committee, told lawmakers.

Analysts have also said the scale of promises for more spending or tax cuts by many leadership contenders threaten to break Britain’s existing budget targets.

Johnson has promised to cut income tax for high earners while foreign minister Jeremy Hunt says he would slash corporation tax. Environment minister Michael Gove suggests replacing Value Added Tax with a “lower, simpler” sales tax.

Candidates who do not receive the backing of more than 33 of the 313 Conservative lawmakers in Tuesday’s vote will be eliminated. If all candidates have more than 32 votes, the one with the fewest is eliminated.

Johnson won the support of 114 Conservative lawmakers in the first round of the leadership contest. The result of Tuesday’s second round of voting is due around 1700 GMT.

The candidates who survive the second round of voting were due to participate in a televised debate at 1900 GMT.

Johnson opted not to appear in a first debate on Sunday and stayed away from question-and-answer sessions in parliament that the other five candidates attended on Monday.

His rivals kept up their calls on Johnson to spell out his plans for Brexit in more detail.

“What I find alarming and I want to try to clarify as soon as possible, hopefully in these debates this evening, is that half the people in his campaign have got the impression that he intends to leave on Oct. 31 with no deal,” Rory Stewart, Britain’s aid minister, told BBC radio.

“And the other half seem to have got the impression that he’s going for the softest of soft Brexits. The only way that we are going to have stability in our government, or our party or our country, is if people trust us.”

Johnson’s rivals hope that during Tuesday’s debate he will commit more of the gaffes that have marked his career.

But, barring a major upset, he looks set to make the final two in the race. The mainly pro-Brexit Conservative Party members will cast the deciding votes in July. </s> Image copyright PA Image caption Channel 4 set up an empty podium for Boris Johnson, who declined to take part in the debate

Contenders to replace Theresa May as Conservative leader have clashed over delivering Brexit during a TV debate.

The MPs argued over whether a new deal could be renegotiated with the EU, and the prospect of a no-deal Brexit.

Boris Johnson came under fire for not taking part in the Channel 4 debate but defended his stance, suggesting it would "be slightly cacophonous".

His leadership bid has been backed by Health Secretary Matt Hancock, who dropped out of the race on Friday.

Some of the sharpest exchanges came over whether Parliament should be shut down - prorogued - in order to push through a no-deal Brexit by 31 October - something four of the five candidates argued against.

The UK had been due to leave the EU on 29 March, but EU leaders agreed to delay the date to October after MPs repeatedly rejected Theresa May's Brexit deal.

International Development Secretary Rory Stewart said proroguing Parliament was a "deeply disturbing" option and Home Secretary Sajid Javid warned "you don't deliver democracy by trashing our democracy".

However ex-Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab refused to rule it out, saying "every time one of these candidates take an option away… we weaken our chances of getting the best deal."

Channel 4's debate attracted an audience of 1.3 million and 7.8% of the audience share. The programme was up against Soccer Aid on ITV, Countryfile on BBC One and Top Gear on BBC Two.

Who won the debate?

Analysis by BBC political correspondent Ben Wright

No stand-out winner and a debate that won't trouble the absent front-runner Boris Johnson.

His team thought there was nothing to be gained from pitching up for this blue-on-blue skirmish which was mostly good natured but repeatedly raised questions the candidates struggled to answer.

How can the next prime minister renegotiate a deal with the EU? How can it be done by October? How could the UK leave without a deal if MPs refuse?

At one end of the debate, Dominic Raab was rounded on for saying he would be prepared to try and suspend parliament if it was the only way to get the UK out without a deal at the end of October.

In the opposite corner, Rory Stewart was the only one who said a renegotiation with the EU in the next four months was a fantasy promise.

At some point this week one of the five will break out and become the challenger to Boris Johnson for the ballot of Tory members.

No-deal Brexit?

The candidates at the debate before a studio audience in east London also argued over whether a no-deal Brexit should be considered.

Mr Javid said no deal was the "last thing" he wanted, but added: "You do plan for no deal precisely because you want a deal."

Mr Raab said Britain would be able to "manage those risks" associated with leaving the EU without a deal.

However, Mr Stewart said "I think a no-deal Brexit is a complete nonsense," adding "it would be deeply damaging for our economy."

The candidates were united in condemnation of the Labour leader with Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt accusing Jeremy Corbyn of being "against aspiration".

Environment Secretary Michael Gove argued that he was the candidate Mr Corbyn would be most scared of facing at Prime Minister's Questions.

The UK's next prime minister

'Where's Boris?'

Mr Johnson, the front-runner in the leadership race, was represented at the debate by an empty lectern.

And Mr Hunt attacked his failure to appear.

"Where's Boris?" he asked, adding "if his team won't allow him out with five fairly friendly colleagues, how is he going to deal with 27 European countries?"

Mr Stewart also made a pointed dig at his absent colleague, saying he hoped "one of us" - referring to the MPs who had attended the debate - becomes prime minister.

Speaking to Radio 4's World at One on Friday, Mr Johnson said he was "pretty bewildered" by claims he was dodging scrutiny and said the public had had "quite a lot of blue-on-blue action, frankly, over the last three years".

He said the best time to take part was on Tuesday after the second ballot and would be at the BBC debate on Tuesday, hosted by Emily Maitlis.

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Michael Gove tells Today says he'll be a "unifying figure"

Health Secretary Matt Hancock - who withdrew from the leadership race after the first ballot - has backed Mr Johnson "as the best candidate to unite the Conservative Party" as has Esther McVey, who was eliminated in the first round.

Writing in the Times, Mr Hancock said Mr Johnson had a "unique personality", adding: "I have confidence Boris will be a One Nation prime minister because that's how he ran London - consistently - for eight years."

Mr Gove told BBC Radio 4's Today he was "naturally disappointed" that Mr Hancock had chosen to endorse his rival rather than himself.

While Mr Johnson remained the frontrunner, Mr Gove said "we need to make sure he is tested" and he believed he could make it to the final two as a "strong alternative" who was equipped to "be prime minister from day one".

Brexit Immigration Tax Spending Health and social care Education

The TV debate also saw politicians being asked about their priorities apart from Brexit.

Mr Javid chose funding education and further education colleges, saying: "We have cut back too much in that space."

Mr Raab said he wanted to improve state schools and offer more choices for young apprenticeships, while Mr Gove said children would be his top priority and emphasised the importance of protecting the environment for the future.

Mr Hunt told the audience "every Conservative has two desires: cut taxes and spend more on public services." He also said he would focus on literacy and the social care system.

Mr Stewart said his central priority would be fixing adult social care, describing the issue as "the great unfinished revolution".

Biggest weakness?

Asked about their weaknesses, Mr Gove said he was impatient, while Mr Raab said he was "a restless soul" who "always wanted to make things better".

Mr Javid admitted to being stubborn while Mr Stewart said there were "many things he didn't know about the world". However, he added that "we need leaders who listen" and criticised "macho posturing".

Mr Hunt joked that his biggest weakness was "getting my wife's nationality wrong" - but on a more serious note, said in his battle with junior doctors as health secretary, he could have been "better at communicating" what he was trying to do.

The candidates will now go on to take part in further ballots until only two remain.

The final pair will be put to a vote of the 160,000 members of the Conservative Party from 22 June. The winner is expected to be announced about four weeks later. </s> Candidates seeking to beat Boris Johnson and become Britain's next prime minister accused the Brexit-backing front-runner of trying to avoid scrutiny after he refused to take part in a televised debate alongside his five rivals Sunday.

"Where is Boris?" Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt asked as he and four other contenders for Conservative Party leader faced questions about how exactly they would fulfil a key promise: to unblock the stalled Brexit process and lead Britain out of the European Union.

Broadcaster Channel 4 left an empty lectern on the debate stage for Johnson as the participating candidates argued they had a quality that many think the absent Tory politician lacks: trustworthiness.

"I believe I'm the candidate most trusted to get us out [of the EU] by the end of October," Dominic Raab, a former Brexit secretary, argued.

Hunt said the Conservatives must choose "a prime minister that families up and down the country trust with their future."

Johnson, a former London mayor and foreign secretary, 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.

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.

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."

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.

During Sunday's debate, the other candidates all said they would take Britain out of the European Union. But they split over how willing they would be to walk away from the EU without a deal if they could not get a new divorce agreement.

Environment Secretary Michael Gove said he was confident that "I can get the European Union to change their approach" and renegotiate the divorce deal.

International Development Secretary Rory Stewart said a no-deal Brexit would be "deeply damaging."

But Raab insisted it would be better than further delay and did not rule out suspending Parliament to force through an exit if lawmakers tried to block it.

The others condemned that idea. Stewart said it was "deeply disturbing," while Javid likened it to the action of a dictator.

Johnson's critics say his 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 ($590 million Cdn) 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 offence. 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 offence his words had caused, but also claimed they had often been taken out of context.

Johnson 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. </s> • Sajid Javid was eliminated from the race to replace Theresa May as Conservative Party leader and prime minister.
• The home secretary fell out in the fourth round of voting after losing support from Conservative MPs.
• The race for second place behind Boris Johnson is now between Jeremy Hunt and Michael Gove.

LONDON – Sajid Javid has been eliminated from the race to replace Theresa May as Conservative Party leader and prime minister.

The home secretary received fewer votes than his three rivals in a secret ballot on Thursday morning, with support consolidating around Jeremy Hunt and Michael Gove, the two candidates who colleagues believe are best-placed to take on Boris Johnson in the final two.

Boris Johnson once again topped the poll, winning 157 votes from Conservative MPs, while Michael Gove jumped into sceond place with 61 votes. Hunt, who placed second in the first three rounds of voting, placed third with 59 votes.

Two of the votes were spoilt ballots.

A fourth and final round of voting will take place on Thursday evening, where the third-placed candidate will be knocked out. The result is due at around 18.15 GMT.

One from the remaining two candidates will then be selected as the next Conservative leader in July by the party’s 160,000-or-so members.

The winner will be announced on July 22.

Javid, who was seen as an outsider in the leadership race, played a prominent role in the contest, winning plaudits for making all other candidates agree to hold an independent inquiry into Islamophobia in the party if they become prime minister.

He was appointed as Home Secretary in 2018, and has also served as Business Secretary and Culture Secretary.
The first televised debate between Conservative Party candidates for Leader of the Conservative Party and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom takes place in London. Frontrunnner Boris Johnson refuses to attend.