Boris Johnson looks unstoppable for UK prime minister vacancy

There is still some way to go but already Boris Johnson, the jovial born-in-America floppy blond-haired populist bike-riding former mayor of London looks set to be the next British prime minister. Everyone else looks like an also-ran. Jeremy Hunt, the Foreign Secretary, is getting some brownie points by saying sensible things and having the advantage of being able to have chats with the likes of Trump, Merkel and Macron in his capacity as the man in charge of the Foreign Office, while Boris is out of office. But I somehow doubt he will get the Tory party membership vote. As for Michael Gove he sounds steady as an oil tanker and tries to make like he's the obvious choice if you want serious leadership and serious policies - an implicit bash at Boris. But the way politics are at the moment in the world, Boris, not Gove, seems to fit the bill. Boris and Trump will be the best of mates. Gove and Trump would always be slightly glacial because Gove doesn't have the bombast or the personal touch - or the hair. All the rest on the list might as well give up now. Two have dropped out already after reading the runes and others will fall by the wayside over the next few days. They would do well to choose Boris if they want a job in his cabinet. If they go for Gove and he loses the race, then Boris might take revenge and ignore them for a post in his government. It's a tricky one for Gove. He has no choice now but to go flat out for the top job, knowing that if Boris beats him, he will probably be out of a job. Under Prime Minister Johnson who would be Chancellor of the Exchequer? Not the current one, Philip Hammond. He's finished. Who would be Foreign Secretary? Not Jeremy Hunt. He'll probably be taken on as a cabinet minister but in another role. And Home Secretary? A tiny chance it might be given to Gove if Boris is feeling in a good mood. But pretty unlikely, especially if the race to the premiership gets personal and dirty. Gove will have to play his cards very carefully. He doesn't want to insult Boris like he did the last time the two of them fought each other for the Conservative party leadership, nor does he want to praise him. That's why all his comments about his leadership rivals will be nuanced and implicit but not direct attacks. Gove must know in his heart that Boris is more likely to win. He has already lost the Trump factor. Trump jokingly asked Jeremy Hunt during the very crowded press conference in London whether Gove would make a good prime minister, and then the much-publicised proposed meeting between Trump and Gove never took place. Trump I suspect just didn't fancy giving up valuable time to meet a potential loser.