#Brexit campaigner Boris Johnson advances on Britain's top job

Johnson, the face of the official Brexit campaign in the 2016 referendum, goes through to a third ballot with four other candidates: Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, Environment Secretary Michael Gove, International Development Minister Rory Stewart, and Home Secretary Sajid Javid.

In the first round on Thursday, Johnson won 114 votes out of 313. The candidates who survived the second round of voting are due to participate in a televised debate at 19h GMT.

Once the list is whittled down to two candidates, a postal ballot of the wider Conservative Party membership will be held to pick a leader. A new prime minister should be chosen by the end of July.

Johnson, a former London mayor and foreign minister, says he will take Britain out of the European Union by 31 October whether or not there is a deal with Brussels to smooth the transition, potentially setting up a fight with parliament.

Johnson, whose unconventional style has helped him shrug off a series of scandals in the past, has won over much of his party by arguing that only he can rescue it by delivering Brexit.