Doug Ford says Boris Johnson will do ‘great job’ as Britain’s next prime minister

LUCAN, Ont. — Ontario's premier says he believes Boris Johnson will do a "great job" as Britain's next prime minister.

Doug Ford praised the new leader of Britain's Conservative Party at a news conference in Lucan, Ont., Tuesday morning.

"He's got a big job turning that around, it's quite a nightmare over there, but I think the people of the U.K. are going to support him," Ford said.

"He's a no-nonsense type of person, he's going to get the job done."

Ford said he would like to meet Johnson if he ever travels to the United Kingdom, adding he has "always" liked the British politician, who previously served two terms as mayor of London.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also sent his congratulations in a tweet that said he looked forward to working with Johnson "to keep the close friendship between Canada and the U.K. strong and to increase trade and create more jobs for people in both our countries."

Johnson, a vocal champion of the Brexit plan to lead the U.K. out of the European Union, overwhelmingly defeated rival Jeremy Hunt to lead the Conservatives in a vote of party members.

He is also set to succeed Theresa May as prime minister on Wednesday.

The victory is a triumph for the 55-year-old Johnson, an ambitious but erratic politician whose political career has veered between periods in high office and spells on the sidelines.

Johnson has vowed that Britain will quit the European Union, "come what may," on the scheduled Brexit departure date of Oct. 31 even if it means leaving without a divorce deal.

But he faces a rocky ride from a parliament determined to prevent him from taking the U.K. out of the bloc without a withdrawal agreement.

World leaders such as U.S. President Donald Trump, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe have offered him their congratulations.

— with files from The Associated Press

The Canadian Press