London mayor backs Britain leaving EU

Associated Press

LONDON

A new battle for Britain erupted Sunday, with London Mayor Boris Johnson saying he would join the campaign to encourage Britain to leave the European Union. The move posed a direct challenge to Prime Minister David Cameron, who has launched a major push to keep his country within the 28-nation bloc.

The popular, raffish Johnson immediately becomes the most-prominent Conservative Party politician to break ranks with fellow Conservative Cameron’s vision of the best course for Britain in a June 23 referendum on EU membership.

The referendum has divided Cameron’s Conservative Party – while most in his Cabinet back his wish to stay, several Cabinet members oppose his stance and are campaigning for the country to break free of EU bureaucracy – a so-called “Brexit.”

The decision of Johnson, a two-term mayor who has been touted as a possible future prime minister, deals a blow to Cameron’s hopes of a united front ahead of what is expected to be a hard-fought referendum.