BORIS Johnson has finally admitted he will stand in the next Tory leadership contest to replace Theresa May.

But what are the odds of the former Foreign Secretary and Mayor of London taking the prime position anyway? Here's the latest.

Will Boris Johnson be the next Prime Minister?

Boris Johnson admitted on May 16, 2019 he would "of course" stand in the Conservative leadership contest to replace Theresa May.

Speaking at a business event in Manchester, Mr Johnson said: "Of course I'm going to go for it," when asked if he would stand.

The arch-Eurosceptic ex-London mayor was immediately installed as bookies' favourite to win the leadership race.

The bookies currently have Boris at 11/4 to be the next permanent PM, according to Paddy Power.

He's closely followed by Michael Gove (at 7/1), Dominic Raab (7/1), Jeremy Hunt (10/1) and Sajid Javid (14/1).

Outside of the Conservatives, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is at 8/1 and Nigel Farage is on 17/1.

The Former Foreign Secretary is still a hugely popular figure among Tory grassroots and the general public.

He drew a huge crowd to hear him bash Theresa May's Brexit plans in a barnstorming speech at the Tory conference in Birmingham.

Boris quit as Foreign Secretary on July 9 in a killer blow to May's government.

He walked out just hours after she lost Brexit Secretary David Davis over her Chequers plan to keep close ties to Brussels.

But many MPs appear to have turned against him, meaning he might struggle to get on the ballot.

His aborted leadership bid in 2016 was scuppered by his friend Michael Gove, severely damaging his electoral "brand".

And his hopes could be dashed by reports of a close friendship with a blonde Tory aide and his divorce from wife Marina.

Why did Boris Johnson resign as Foreign Secretary?

Boris quit as Foreign Secretary on July 9 in a bitter blow to Theresa May's government.

He walked out just hours after she lost Brexit Secretary David Davis as she plans to force through a soft Brexit.

The pair, both passionate Brexit supporters, walked out in the wake of the PM's Chequers agreement.

Since leaving Cabinet, the former journalist has regularly spoken out against the PM's Brexit plans and is widely speculated to be considering challenging her for the Tory leadership.

What did Boris say about Theresa May's Brexit plan?

BoJo claimed the PM's Brexit plan would wrap Britain in a "suicide vest" and give the detonator to Brussels.

But Tory rising star and former Army officer Tom Tugendhat, who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, demanded Boris "grow up".

He said: "A suicide bomber murdered many in the courtyard of my office in Helmand. The carnage was disgusting — limbs and flesh hanging from trees and bushes.

"Comparing the PM to that isn't funny."

His comments have sparked a huge row within the Tory party as his allies fear he has undermined his own leadership plans with his outspoken views.

The former Foreign Secretary quit the Cabinet in protest at the PM's Brexit proposals which she hammered out at Chequers earlier this year.

But he has fallen short of calling for her to resign, despite his position as the favourite to take over.

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