The battle to be Britain’s next Prime Minister enters its final straight on Wednesday with both candidates hardening their positions on Brexit, putting the future Government on a collision course with Brussels.
Ex-London Mayor Boris Johnson, the favourite to replace Theresa May, and foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt, are now both referring to Britain’s departure with no overall deal in place as a realistic prospect. The business community and many lawmakers fear dire economic consequences from a no-deal Brexit which would lead to immediate trade tariffs for certain sectors including the automotive industry. Johnson and Hunt are taking part in a final question-and-answer session later on Wednesday before the result of the vote by Conservative Party members is announced on July 23 and the new PM is installed on July 24. Britain has twice delayed its scheduled departure from the European Union after 46 years of membership and May’s failure to get parliament to vote for her deal with Brussels ultimately forced her to resign.