16/05/2019 (Agence Europe) – Former British Foreign Minister and current Conservative MP Boris Johnson, who left Ms May's government in the summer of 2018 over disagreements over the UK's plans to leave the EU, confirmed on Thursday 16 May that he would run for the presidency of the Tory Party and, potentially, the post of Prime Minister in early June, when current leader Theresa May will be on the way out. This departure must be automatic, if MPs approve her draft exit agreement, as she undertook to do before the last vote, which had failed (see EUROPE 12225/1). There would therefore be a new head of the executive for the second phase of negotiations, for the future relationship. When asked during an event in Manchester, the former Minister replied: “Yes, of course, I will go for it (...); that’s no secret to anyone”. (SP)