File photo taken on Oct. 3, 2017 shows then British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson delivering his keynote speech during the Conservative Party Annual Conference 2017 in Manchester, Britain. (Xinhua/Han Yan)
LONDON, July 23 (Xinhua) -- Former British Foreign Secretary and ex-mayor of London Boris Johnson was elected the leader of the ruling Conservative party on Tuesday and set to become the country's prime minister.
Johnson won 92,153 votes against the 46,656 received by his rival, Jeremy Hunt, the current foreign secretary.
Johnson said as PM he will bring "a new spirit of can-do" to the country after the result was revealed.
The Queen Elizabeth Center, just a few hundred meters from the Houses of Parliament, was crowded with an audience who had been waiting to hear the name of Britain's incoming prime minister.
Johnson's brother and MP Jo Johnson sat alongside their sister Rachel and father Stanley Johnson to hear the announcement.
Outside the Houses of Parliament pro-leave and pro-EU supporters gathered, waving flags and shouting messages, as Brexit remains a hot topic across Britain.
Johnson had always been the favorite among the majority of the party's 160,000 members, but his victory is expected to lead to a string of front bench resignations.
Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond has already stated publicly he will quit, saying he cannot support the possibility of a no-deal Brexit.
Johnson has pledged to bring Britain out of the European Union (EU) by Oct. 31, with or without a deal.
The prospect of Britain leaving the bloc with no deal has already provoked talk of a rebellion among pro-Euro Conservative MPs.
The win on Tuesday comes four years after Johnson abandoned ambitions to join a leadership race following the resignation of then prime minister David Cameron in the wake of the 2016 referendum result.
The announcement of the result Tuesday triggers a hand-over between Johnson and Theresa May, who succeeded Cameron in 2016.
