Boris Johnson has been elected as leader of the Conservative Party – and will take over as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom on Wednesday afternoon.

East Anglian Daily Times: Boris Johnson speaks at the Queen Elizabeth II Centre in London after being announced as the new Conservative party leader . Photo: Dominic Lipinski/PA WireBoris Johnson speaks at the Queen Elizabeth II Centre in London after being announced as the new Conservative party leader . Photo: Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire

He won 92,000 votes from Conservative Party members - twice the number won by Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt.

Mr Johnson will take over as Prime Minister after Theresa May formally hands in her resignation to The Queen after Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons.

He won with 92,153 votes compared to Mr Hunt's 46,656. In his speech after the announcement, Mr Johnson said it was an "extraordinary honour and privilege" to be elected Tory leader.

He praised Theresa May for her "extraordinary service to this party and this country", saying it was a privilege to serve in her Cabinet.

In his victory speech, Mr Johnson thanked Tory members for the "extraordinary honour and privilege you have just conferred on me".

"I know that there will be people around the place who will question the wisdom of your decision," he said.

"There may even be some people here who still wonder what they have done."

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn tweeted: "Boris Johnson has won the support of fewer than 100,000 unrepresentative Conservative Party members by promising tax cuts for the richest, presenting himself as the bankers' friend, and pushing for a damaging No Deal Brexit. But he hasn't won the support of our country.

"Johnson's No Deal Brexit would mean job cuts, higher prices in the shops, and risk our NHS being sold off to US corporations in a sweetheart deal with Donald Trump. The people of our country should decide who becomes the Prime Minister in a General Election."

EU Commission Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier tweeted: "We look forward to working constructively with PM Boris Johnson when he takes office, to facilitate the ratification of the Withdrawal Agreement and achieve an orderly Brexit. We are ready also to rework the agreed Declaration on a new partnership in line with EUCO guidelines."