Dame Cheryl Gillan with Charles Walker, left, and Bob Blackman, right, read out the results of the first ballot in the Tory leadership ballot at the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, London, Thursday, June 13, 2019.

Boris Johnson took a commanding lead Thursday in the contest to become Britain s next prime minister, winning by far the largest share of support in first-round voting by Conservative Party lawmakers.

Johnson, a former foreign secretary and leading Brexit campaigner, secured 114 of the 313 votes cast in the round, which reduced the field of candidates from 10 to seven. His successor as Foreign Secretary. Jeremy Hunt, trailed with 43 votes, followed by Environment Secretary Michael Gove with 37.