BIRMINGHAM, England (AP) — He's not a member of the government and he's not speaking on the main stage, but Boris Johnson is a star at Britain's Conservative Party conference.

The former foreign secretary and — some hope — future prime minister is addressing hundreds of delegates Tuesday at the gathering in Birmingham, central England.

Advance extracts suggest his speech, with its call to "follow our conservative instincts" and cut taxes, sounds remarkably like a leadership pitch.

Johnson has criticized Prime Minister Theresa May since he quit the government in July over her Brexit plan, which would see Britain stick close to EU rules in return for remaining in the bloc's single market for goods.

Johnson wants a clean break with the EU so the U.K. can strike new trade deals around the world.