The shaggy-haired and buffoonish former London mayor stands out as a possible successor to David Cameron, who announced Friday he will resign after failing to convince Britons to remain in the EU.
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He said nothing to waiting reporters as he was escorted to his vehicle by police officers with shouts of “scumbag” ringing in his ear.
Cameron has led the campaign to remain in the 28-member EU. But he suggested he wanted to pick up Cameron’s mantle of moderate Conservativism as he lauded the prime minister’s approach to the job.
“There is no need to invoke Article 50”, the clause that begins the process of extricating a country from the EU.
The Prime Minister hit out at the Leave campaign’s “narrow” focus on immigration and heavily criticised Ukip leader Nigel Farage’s “breaking point” poster depicting non-white migrants in mainland Europe as an attempt to breed intolerance.
Worcester’s Tory group leader Councillor Marc Bayliss, a former city council leader, said: “It’s bad news that David Cameron has had to resign – he’s a great Prime Minister who served this country with huge distinction”.
“Between those who have been endlessly rubbishing our country and running it down, and those of us who believe in Britain”.
He told supporters to “drive for the line” and took the opportunity to hit out at Mr Juncker once more, saying his remarks “tell you all you need to know about the conceit of European Union officials”.
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker is hosting talks with Tusk, European Parliament President Martin Schulz and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, whose country holds the EU’s rotating presidency. It’s widely assumed that Johnson, 52, has his eye on the prime minister’s residence at 10 Downing Street.
“There can not be any special treatment for the United Kingdom”.
On Exit, he said ” There’s no way of dealing with a decision on this scale except by putting it to people”.
At a Vote Leave press conference on Friday morning, he did not take questions and made no comment about his own leadership ambitions. Once triggered, there is a two-year period in which the terms of the leaver’s exit are negotiated.
“This summer will see the beginning of a tumultuous political crisis that will probably set many European Union member states against one another, and will certainly reverberate around the world”, warned Giles Merritt from the Friends of Europe think tank.
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In his final public speech before the country goes to the polls, the PM said figures from across the political spectrum are united in urging the country to vote to stay in.
