Theresa May resigns, Boris Johnson becomes UK Prime Minister in the transition of power

Karla Adam

London correspondent covering the United Kingdom

July 24

LONDON – Boris Johnson, the ruffled leader of the Brexit campaign, became UK Prime Minister on Wednesday, promising – "no ifs or the least" – that Britain leaves the European Union in October.

"The unbelieving, the unhappy, the dark, they're going to be wrong," Johnson said in his opening remarks at 10 Downing Street. "People who are betting against Britain will lose their shirts because we are going to restore confidence in our democracy."

Johnson said: "I am confident that in 99 days we will have it resolved" and that we will be able to leave the US with "a new deal, a better deal".

He implicitly blamed his predecessor, Theresa May, for failing in this challenge.

"After three years of unfounded doubt, it's time to change the record," he said. "Recovering our natural and historical role as enterprising Britain, outward-looking and truly global, with a generous and engaged mood in the world."

Johnson has made himself known as a journalist renowned for his hype and then as London's liberal conservative mayor. His supporters hope that as Prime Minister he will keep his promises.

[[[[Who is Boris Johnson? All you need to know about the next British Prime Minister. ]

After Johnson's speech, cabinet members began to move to number 10. Some of the meetings were brief. In total, 17 members of May's government were sacked, resigned or retired. The Daily Telegraph called the reshuffle "mbadacre".

Johnson eliminated the "remnants" and began building a cabinet of true believers in Brexit. He appointed Priti Patel as Secretary of the Interior, Dominic Raab as Foreign Secretary and Sajid Javid as Chancellor. Johnson has retained Steve Barclay as secretary of Brexit.

Jeremy Hunt, Johnson's main opponent in the leadership race for the Conservative Party, was fired as Secretary of Foreign Affairs. Hunt said he was offered another job in the administration, but decided to go back to the back.

Earlier in the day, Philip Hammond, head of the British budget, resigned as Chancellor of the Republic. Hammond had warned that he could not serve a prime minister who was ready to bring Britain out of the European Union. without agreement.

Nick Boles, Independent Member of Parliament, tweeted"The Brexit Party won the war without electing a single deputy. Boris Johnson is not our new prime minister; Nigel Farage is. "

The transition of power in British parliamentary democracy is brutal – and extremely fast.

May met Queen Elizabeth II on Wednesday afternoon and resigned. A few minutes later, Johnson nodded and was asked to form a new government.

The dance began earlier in the day when May appeared in the House of Commons for her last session on Premier's Issues, a weekly exchange between the government of the day and the opposition, as tradition dictates, at "Two sword lengths".

Legislators thanked May for her service. They have reserved their toughest lines to Johnson, whom his opposition rivals have called "flagrant" and "reckless", a usurper without a warrant and someone who is willing to "sell our country to Donald." Trump and his friends ".

May offered lukewarm support to his successor. She said that she was "happy" to hand over to Johnson, with whom "I worked when he was in my office" and who committed to achieving Brexit. Johnson notably left May's cabinet for his approach to Brexit.

When May herself was attacked at the House of Commons session, she gave everything she got.

Labor Party leader Jeremy Corbyn criticized it, saying that under its mandate, child poverty was on the rise, pensioner poverty was on the rise, clbad sizes were rising, and food banks on the rise. May replied that she was proud of her record. She then bowed her head, looked at Corbyn and pricked it with her horns: "As a party leader who accepted when his time was up, maybe it's time for him to do the same . "

Jo Swinson, the new leader of the Liberal Democrats' rising party, asked May if she had any advice for women across the country on how to deal with these men who think they can do a better job but are not ready to do it. . "

May smiles but does not bite the bait – if that's what it was – to refer to Johnson. Instead, she offered, "Be true to yourself, persevere and continue."

Harriet Harman, the oldest woman in the House, honored May as the second British prime minister. But Harman added a sneaky reference to May's tumultuous relationship with President Trump: "Sometimes you just have to be a little more careful when a man wants to hold your hand."

Although Ms. May had a relatively short term of office for a British prime minister, she said she had answered more than 4,500 questions during the 140 hours spent in the House of Commons.

May now returns to the backbench of Parliament as an ordinary legislator and little influential. This is very different from the tradition in the United States, where a former president distances himself from writing memoirs, delivering speeches and creating a library.

May made short farewell remarks to Downing Street, then was transported by a descent from the mall to Buckingham Palace, where a thin dispersion of tourists and locals faded into near-record temperatures. of a European heat wave.

May was greeted by the Queen's private secretary and led the staircase for a private audience with the monarch.

May and the queen have had almost weekly meetings over the past three years. During Wednesday's tea, May could have spoken freely and the queen could have asked, essentially, what May felt and perhaps what she thought of what would happen next.

After about 30 minutes, Buckingham Palace e-mailed a statement that May had "resigned" and that Queen Elizabeth II "was graciously happy to accept".

Immediately after leaving May's car, one of the porters, Johnson, arrived for a ceremony called "Kissing Hands".

The palace published a picture of Johnson in the Queen's private audience room, bowing to the monarch and shaking his right hand after she asked him to form a new government.

Queen Elizabeth II invited Boris Johnson to become Prime Minister and form a new government. (Victoria Jones / AP)

Johnson becomes the 14th Prime Minister of the Queen. During her long reign, Elizabeth II saw them coming and going: Winston Churchill, Anthony Eden, Harold Macmillan, Alec Douglas-Home, Harold Wilson, Edward Heath, James Callaghan, Margaret Thatcher, John Major, Tony Blair, Gordon. Brown, David Cameron, Theresa May and now Johnson.

Johnson's remarks outside his new official residence caught the eye. The first speech by a Prime Minister is thoroughly reviewed and is often remembered for a long time.

for her In her first speech, May spoke of the need to tackle "injustices" in society and lead a government that works for everyone, not for the "privileged". Above all, can not solve these problems. She was consumed with Brexit. The same thing could happen to his successor.

Donald Tusk, President of the European Council, sent a brief note Congratulations to Johnson, saying: "I look forward to meeting you to discuss – in detail – our cooperation."

Johnson easily won the leadership race on Tuesday. Former Foreign Secretary Johnson received 92,153 votes against 46,656, a decisive victory.

New Conservative Party leader and new Prime Minister Boris Johnson leaves his campaign office in central London on Tuesday. (Tolga Akmen / AFP / Getty Images)

But the vote concerned only members of the Conservative Party who were contributing. Only 139,000 people voted in a country of 66 million people. Many Britons feel excluded at a crucial moment.

Johnson, 55, will install at Downing Street. His 31-year-old girlfriend Carrie Symonds, former Conservative Party Communications Officer and one of the Conservative's best twitters, could move in over the weekend, according to the daily newspaper. British news. She appeared in a red and pink dress for Johnson's remarks on Wednesday. Expect a lot of tabloid interest for this unprecedented arrangement.

Carrie Symonds, the girlfriend of new Prime Minister Boris Johnson, is waiting for Johnson to speak at No 10 Downing Street. (Chris J Ratcliffe / Getty Images)

Johnson will be confronted with an inbox full of articles requiring urgent attention, including a confrontation in the Persian Gulf with a belligerent Iran. The two countries have stalled since Britain seized an Iranian oil tanker suspected of sending oil to Syria, and Iran retaliated by seizing an oil tanker under British flag last week.

Political observers want to know if Johnson is pursuing Britain's efforts to save the 2015 deal to discourage Iran from developing nuclear weapons, or to bend to US pressure to impose sanctions on the country. Iran.

But Johnson's main challenge will be to pull Britain out of the EU.

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