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Treasury chief vows to quit if Boris Johnson becomes PM

Published:Monday | July 22, 2019 | 12:00 AM
Britain’s Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond

LONDON (AP):

British Treasury chief Philip Hammond says he will quit if – as widely expected – Boris Johnson becomes prime minister this week.

Hammond said Sunday that Johnson’s vow to take the UK out of the European Union on October 31 with or without a divorce deal is “not something that I could ever sign up to”.

He is the third minister within a week to quit or say they will resign in order to try to block a no-deal Brexit. Economists say leaving the EU without a deal would cause Britain economic turmoil.

Johnson is the strong favourite to win a two-person runoff to lead the Conservative Party and the country. The winner is being announced tomorrow with the victor taking over from Prime Minister Theresa May on Wednesday.