Javid eliminated from Tory leadership contest
By Frank Prenesti
Date: Thursday 20 Jun 2019
(Sharecast News) - Sajid Javid was eliminated from the Conservative party leadership contest on Thursday, leaving the race essentially a battle between Boris Johnson and either Michael Gove or Jeremy Hunt.
Johnson easily won the fourth round with 157 votes. Gove overtook Hunt to move into into second place with 61 votes to 59, while Javid was last on 34.
The final round of parliamentary party voting takes place later on Thursday before the final two candidates are put before Conservative Party members in a long series of hustings. The winner will succeed Theresa May as leader and prime minister on July 22.
Meanwhile in Brussels, Irish Taoiseach Varadkar said there was "enormous hostility" towards granting the UK any further Brexit extension beyond October 31.
Speaking ahead of an EU summit, Varadkar said any extension counld only be considered "if it were to facilitate something like a general election in the UK or perhaps even something like a second referendum if they decided to have one".
"There's very much a strong view across the European Union that there shouldn't be any more extensions. While I have endless patience, some of my colleagues have lost patience, quite frankly, with the UK and there's enormous hostility to any further extension."
"What won't be entertained is an extension for further negotiations or further indicative votes: the time for that has long since passed."
Johnson originally said he would take the UK out at the end of October with or without a deal, but at a televised debate on Tuesday night he refused to give an absolute guarantee to leave on that date.
Gove and Hunt have both said they would not rule out asking for an extension if both sides were close to a deal and more time were needed.
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