Babak Belurs

Rabu, 24 Juli 2019

Boris Johnson set to assume office as Britain's 77th prime minister - NBC News

LONDON — As a boy Boris Johnson said he wanted to be "world king" when he grew up. On Wednesday, he settled for being British prime minister.

Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson, known professionally as Boris Johnson, assumed office after an audience with the queen at Buckingham Palace. This followed him being chosen as leader of the ruling Conservative Party on Tuesday.

Johnson arrived at the royal palace in central London Wednesday after climate change protesters attempted to block his motorcade by forming a human chain across the road that leads to the palace gates. The protesters were quickly swept aside by police.

After meeting the queen, Britain's 77th prime minister heads to Downing Street, the official residence of Britain’s leaders, where he is expected to give a speech before appointing key members of his government.

The 55-year-old former London mayor, whose sister in an interview last year said her big brother's childhood ambition was to be "world king," may find that being prime minister of the U.K. is challenge enough.

July 23, 201900:59

New York-born Johnson takes office at one of the most critical junctures in Britain's post-World War II history.

The country is bitterly divided over whether and how to leave the European Union, a seemingly intractable dispute that has strained party loyalties across the political spectrum. Johnson also faces escalating tensions with Iran after Iranian commandos seized a British-flagged oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz last week. Earlier this month, Britain seized an Iranian vessel it suspected of transporting embargoed oil to Syria.

Johnson, who has followed a well-trodden path to the top of British politics — he attended the elite boarding school, Eton College, before heading to Oxford University — will also need to try to heal a country exhausted by a decade of post-2008 financial crisis austerity.

The flamboyant journalist-turned-politician has given himself three months to deliver Brexit, with Britain due to leave the European Union on Oct. 31 — regardless of whether his government can strike a new withdrawal deal with the bloc's negotiators. He is expected to appoint a cabinet of committed pro-Brexit lawmakers, while including some pro-E.U. voices in an effort to unite the Conservatives.

Nevertheless, even with a team of true-believers, it's going to be an uphill battle. Johnson hopes to renegotiate the E.U. withdrawal deal that his predecessor Prime Minister Theresa May painstakingly hammered out with the 27 other leaders of E.U. member states.

Moments after Johnson's election, the E.U. reiterated its position that it will not reopen the divorce deal negotiated by May. If he is unable to persuade E.U. leaders to change their minds, Johnson has pledged to leave the bloc without a deal.

Many experts and industry leaders warn that "no-deal Brexit" could spell economic catastrophe for Britain, not to mention its closest European neighbors. It could also trigger shortages of food, medicine and basic supplies.

In a speech on Tuesday, Johnson's message was one of a "can do" spirit. Addressing members of the Conservative Party he pledged to unite and energize the country by delivering Brexit and defeating Labour opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn.

"We are going to get Brexit done on Oct. 31, and we are going to take advantage of all the opportunities it will bring in a new spirit of 'can do,'" Johnson said.

"Like some slumbering giant, we are going to rise and ping off the guy-ropes of self-doubt and negativity," he added, pledging to introduce "better education, better infrastructure, more police," and "fantastic full-fiber broadband."

Because of the way the U.K.'s political system works, there was no general election needed for Johnson to become prime minister. He will assume the role having won the leadership contest for the Conservative Party, which is the largest in Parliament.

Some 140,000 party members voted, with Johnson defeating his opponent, Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, by 92,153 votes to 46,656.

While the pro-Brexit lawmaker is championed by his supporters for his energy and charisma, he is derided by his critics as a court jester with little regard for the truth.

In a final appearance before becoming Conservative Party leader last week, Johnson brandished a kipper — a kind of smoked herring that is a traditional British breakfast food — in front of the crowd, and claimed that "pointless" E.U. regulations had forced a fish seller on the Isle of Man to package his fish with “ice pillows.”

Boris Johnson holds up kipper at an event in London on July 17.Tolga Akmen / AFP - Getty Images file

Within hours, European leaders pointed out that the case in question fell outside the scope of E.U. legislation. Commentators added that the Isle of Man was not actually part of the E.U.

Beyond Johnson's penchant for headline-grabbing stunts, during the leadership campaign much scrutiny focused on his tumultuous personal life.

Johnson was once fired from a senior Conservative post for lying about an extramarital affair and his reported infidelities and cover-ups would have been enough to sink most other politicians.

He has refused to answer journalists’ questions about the number of children he has. Last month at the height of the leadership campaign, Johnson’s private life was back in the headlines after a recording of “a loud altercation involving screaming, shouting and banging” at the home of his girlfriend was passed to the Guardian newspaper.

Regardless of the scandals, President Donald Trump has already voiced his support for Johnson as the next prime minister.

“I think Boris would do a very good job. I think he would be excellent,” Trump told British newspaper The Sun ahead of a state visit to the U.K. in June.

And Trump was one of the first world leaders to tweet his congratulations to Johnson on Tuesday.

For his part, Johnson has criticized Trump in the past, saying in 2015 that the then-candidate Trump was “clearly out of his mind” for suggesting that there should be a ban on Muslims entering the U.S.

More recently, however, Johnson has been reluctant to criticize the president. Earlier this month, he refused to condemn Trump’s remarks over the leaked cables of British Ambassador Kim Darroch, who stepped down from his post under pressure.

The relationship with the U.S. will be crucial for Britain as it tries to exit the E.U.

May used her last appearance as prime minister to throw her weight behind her successor and his team.

"Their successes will be our country’s successes and I hope that they will be many,” she said outside No. 10 Downing Street, the residence of Britain's prime minister.

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2019-07-24 14:43:00Z
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Theresa May to step down, Boris Johnson to become U.K. prime minister, in elaborate transition of power - The Washington Post

British Prime Minister Theresa May takes questions for the last time in parliament before traveling to Buckingham Palace to formally submit her resignation.

The British government is in transition on Wednesday, with Prime Minister Theresa May stepping down and Boris Johnson taking her place. Here’s how the day is unfolding:

●May has arrived at Buckingham Palace to submit her resignation to Queen Elizabeth II.

●Johnson will formally become prime minister following his own audience with the queen.

●Johnson next will deliver his first speech at Downing Street.

●He will then begin to form his cabinet.

LONDON — The transition of power in Britain’s parliamentary democracy is brutal — and lightning quick. The United Kingdom is not without a premier for more than an hour. Outgoing Prime Minister Theresa May curtsied to the Queen Wednesday afternoon and resigned. Boris Johnson will bow and be asked to form a new government.

When Johnson walks through the black enameled door of 10 Downing Street on Wednesday afternoon, he will fulfill what his biographers describe as his relentless “blond ambition” to follow his hero, Winston Churchill, into Britain’s top job.

He will immediately face the buzz saw of Brexit. And although his supporters hope the charismatic Johnson will rally a divided Parliament and a divided country in a way that Theresa May failed to do, he comes into office as a controversial leader, not especially well-liked by most Brits.

Johnson — a bombastic, Latin-quoting Oxford classicist with a mop of intentionally mussed yellow hair — made his name as an over-the-top journalist and a colorful London mayor. He then galvanized the successful Brexit campaign in 2016, which won him many fans and many enemies.

[Who is Boris Johnson? Everything you need to know about Britain’s next prime minister.]

On Wednesday, the transition began when May appeared in the House of Commons for her last session of prime minister’s questions, a weekly exchange between the ruling government and the opposition, as tradition dictates, “two sword lengths apart.”

Lawmakers thanked May for her term and her 33 years in public service. The harshest lines were reserved for Johnson, whom opposition rivals called “flagrant” and “reckless,” a usurper with no mandate, and someone who is prepared to “sell our country out to Donald Trump and his friends.”

May offered tepid support for her successor, said she was “pleased” to hand over to Johnson, whom “I worked with when he was in my cabinet,” and who is committed to delivering Brexit. Johnson notably quit May’s cabinet over her handling of Brexit.

When May herself came under attack, she gave as good as she got.

Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn laid into her — saying that under her tenure, child poverty was up, pensioner poverty was up, school class size was up, food bank use was up. May retorted that she was proud of her record. She then lowered her head, eyeballed Corbyn and poked him with her horns: “As a party leader who has accepted when her time was up, perhaps the time is now for him to do the same.”

Theresa May tells Jeremy Corbyn to quit during her last exchange in Parliament as prime minister with the Labour leader.

Jo Swinson, the new leader of the ascendant Liberal Democrats party, asked May if she had any advice for “women across the country on how to deal with those men who think they could do a better job but are not prepared to do the actual work.”

May smiled but didn’t take the bait — if that’s what it was — to make any references to Johnson. Instead, she offered: “Be true to yourself, persevere and keep going.”

Harriet Harman, the longest-serving female member of the House, honored May as Britain’s second female prime minister. But Harman added a sly reference to May’s rocky relationship with President Trump: “Sometimes you just have to be a bit more careful when a man wants to hold your hand.”

During her last session of Prime Minister’s Questions, Theresa May fields a question from Jo Swinson, the leader of the Liberal Democrats.

Although May had a relatively short tenure for a British prime minister, she noted that she had answered more than 4,500 questions over the course of 140 hours in the House of Commons.

May now will return to the backbenches of Parliament as an ordinary and not very influential lawmaker. This is far different from the tradition in the United States, where a former president scoots offstage to write memoirs, deliver speeches and build a library. In May’s case, she will back in the House of Commons after the summer recess, asking questions of Johnson.

Outside the Palace of Westminster on Wednesday, Fleet Street was in a tizzy over possible picks for Johnson’s team — including the “great offices of state” — the chancellor, foreign secretary and home secretary — and what they could mean for Brexit and his style of governing. Johnson has just 99 days to find a Brexit solution. Otherwise, he has warned that Britain might accept the economic risk of leaving the bloc without a withdrawal agreement or transition period.

Will Johnson lean toward compromise? Or tilt toward a ‘no deal’ Brexit? The lineup of his top team could also signal whether he intends to govern, as he suggested on the campaign trail, like he did as mayor of London, where he was known as a liberal Conservative.

Johnson awoke Wednesday to a pile of British newspapers on his doorstep announcing his victory — some celebratory, some not. The Metro tabloid went with “Don’t Panic!” as an all-caps headline. The Express front page read, “Hang Onto Your Hats. Here Comes Boris!”

Britain’s newspapers heralded former London Mayor Boris Johnson as he prepared to take over as prime minister, July 24.

Minutes before May drove to Buckingham Palace to resign, the outgoing prime minister stood for a last time at the lectern in front of 10 Downing Street.

In brief remarks, with her husband Philip standing by her side, May wished Johnson and his team good fortune.

“Their successes will be our successes,” May said.

May said she hopes young girls who have seen her in high office will think there is nothing they cannot achieve.

In the background, Steve Bray, the constant anti-Brexit protestor who is fixture outside Westminter, shouted,“Stop Brexit!”

May looked up and said, “I think not.”

Frank Augstein

Prime Minister Theresa May leaves 10 Downing Street to attend Prime Minister's earlier on Wednesday.

May was driven by motorcade down the Mall to the palace, where a thin scattering of tourists and locals were withering in the near-record temperatures of a European heatwave.

May stepped out of her out armored Jaguar at the King’s Entrance in the inner quadrangle of the palace. She was greeted by the queens’ private secretary and led up the stairs for a private audience, where May will formally resign.

This brief exchange will be followed by a spot of tea and conversation. May would be free here to speak her mind and queen would be able to ask, essentially, how May is feeling and perhaps, what she thinks about what happens next. May and the queen have had near weekly meetings over the past three years.

After May’s car leaves, one carrying Johnson will arrive for a ceremony known as “kissing hands.”

In the movie “The Queen,” starring Helen Mirren, the actor playing Tony Blair kissed the hand of the monarch, but in reality, there’s more likely to be shaking hands. May shook hands and curtsied — deeply — during her meeting with the queen when she became prime minister.

Johnson will be the queen’s 14th prime minister. Over the course of her long reign, Elizabeth II has seen them come and go: 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.

Much attention today will focus on his remarks after he leaves the palace. The first speech a prime minister delivers is heavily scrutinized and often long remembered.

For her first speech as prime minister, May talked of tackling “burning injustices” in society and leading a government that worked for everyone, not the “privileged few.” Those promises for a Tory-led “social justice” program were often thrown back in her face, when May mostly failed to address those issues. She was consumed with Brexit. The same could happen to her successor.

Matt Hancock, a Conservative politician who has been helping with Johnson’s campaign, told the BBC he expected Johnson’s speech to include “a surprising amount of detail, especially on the domestic agenda.” He said that, at the same time as delivering Brexit, Johnson wanted to focus on domestic issues and pointed out that on the campaign trail Johnson spoke about education, social care and policing.

Once prime minister, Johnson is expected to start naming his new team and new cabinet. Johnson has said he wants a cabinet rich with pro-Brexit voices — with each chair filled by someone who is okay with the incoming prime minister’s vow, that if he does not get the Brexit deal he wants from Europe, then Britain will crash out with no deal.

Johnson handily won the leadership contest on Tuesday. The former foreign secretary Johnson captured 92,153 votes to current foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt’s 46,656 — a decisive victory.

Tolga Akmen

AFP/Getty Images

New Conservative Party leader and incoming prime minister Boris Johnson leaves his campaign office in central London on Tuesday.

But the vote involved only dues-paying members of the Conservative Party. A mere 139,000 people cast ballots in a country of 66 million. A lot of Britons feel left out at a pivotal moment. On social media, #NotMyPM was one of the many Johnson-related hashtags trending. A YouGov survey found that 58 percent of Brits have a negative opinion of Johnson — a wicked-high number for a first day on the job.

The 55-year-old Johnson will take up residence at Downing Street. His 31-year-old girlfriend, Carrie Symonds, a former Conservative Party communications official and a top Tory spinner, may move in over the weekend, according to British news reports. Expect a lot of tabloid interest in this unprecedented arrangement.

When Johnson clocks in, he will face an overflowing in-box of items that need urgent attention, including a showdown in the Persian Gulf with a belligerent Iran. The two countries have been in a tense standoff since Britain impounded an Iranian tanker suspected of sending oil to Syria, and Iran retaliated by seizing a British-flagged oil tanker last week.

Politics watchers are keen to see whether Johnson continues Britain’s effort to salvage the 2015 deal designed to discourage Iran from developing nuclear weapons, or whether he bends to U.S. pressure to impose sanctions on Iran.

[Want to understand Boris Johnson, Britain’s probable next prime minister? Read his incendiary journalism.]

But Johnson’s main challenge will be getting Britain out of the European Union.

May’s failure to deliver Brexit on time was the reason her Tory lawmakers ousted her.

Boris Johnson wins vote to be U.K. prime minister

Theresa May packs her bags, her legacy dominated by failure

Want to understand Boris Johnson? Read his journalism.

What Boris Johnson said about Trump when he wasn’t being so diplomatic

Boris Johnson says he’s prepared for a no-deal Brexit. Critics say he’s reckless.

Boris Johnson’s rise could be a preamble to his fall

Today’s coverage from Post correspondents around the world

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2019-07-24 12:52:23Z
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Boris Johnson on Verge of Taking Over in U.K. - The New York Times

LONDON — Boris Johnson, an ardent supporter of Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union, was poised to take over as prime minister from Theresa May and select a new cabinet on Wednesday, a day after his easy victory in a Conservative Party leadership vote.

Mr. Johnson, a former foreign secretary and two-term mayor of London, is a polarizing figure, known for over-the-top displays and a charismatic bluster that have connected with many voters but alienated others.

Mr. Johnson was among the most high-profile backers of Brexit, as the withdrawal process is commonly known, and on Tuesday he made clear that he would push for Britain to leave by the deadline of Oct. 31 even if there were no deal in place.

He has described Britain’s departure as a matter of “do or die,” but opponents of a no-deal departure — who include a majority of Parliament and some members of his own party — have warned that it could have ruinous effects on the British economy, and lead to shortages of food and medicine.

Mrs. May walked out of 10 Downing Street, as throngs of reporters waited outside, just after 11 a.m. local time and traveled to Parliament for a final round of questions from legislators. Mrs. May, who congratulated Mr. Johnson on Tuesday afternoon, will return to the official residence at 10 Downing Street later in the day to say goodbye to the staff there and make a short, final statement to the nation as leader.

In a short address to lawmakers, Mrs. May said she would continue to serve as a member of Parliament, and was pleased to hand over the government to Mr. Johnson.

But after some pleasantries, she launched into a raucous back and forth with the opposition in which she was questioned about Mr. Johnson’s fitness as a leader.

Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of the opposition Labour Party, applauded her service before adding that he hoped Mrs. May would be involved in “helping me to oppose the reckless plans of her successor.”

Prime Minister Theresa May leaving 10 Downing Street for Parliament on Wednesday. — CreditMatt Dunham/Associated Press

Later in the day, Mrs. May and Mr. Johnson will each visit Buckingham Palace to meet with Queen Elizabeth II and receive her formal assent to the transition. Mrs. May will officially tender her resignation, and Mr. Johnson will be invited by the queen to form a new government.

Mr. Johnson, who will be the 14th British prime minister to serve during the queen’s reign, is expected to make his first speech outside 10 Downing Street before entering the residence for the first time. He is also expected to begin announcing members of his cabinet.

Dominic Cummings, a director of the “Vote Leave” campaign ahead of the 2016 referendum on Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union, is expected to become a senior adviser to Mr. Johnson, according to the BBC.

While his appointment would be likely to be applauded by hard-line supporters of Brexit, his role in that campaign’s ruthlessly successful strategy has made him a controversial and sometimes mythologized figure.

[Read more on Boris Johnson’s chaotic personal life.]

A handful of Conservatives who served in the previous government have resigned already, signaling they had no intention of serving under Mr. Johnson’s leadership.

Alan Duncan, the second-ranking official in the foreign office, resigned on Monday, while Anne Milton, an education minister, announced her resignation on Tuesday shortly before Mr. Johnson’s victory in the party leadership race was announced. Philip Hammond, the chancellor of the Exchequer, resigned on Thursday.

Other prominent figures, including David Gauke, the justice secretary, and Rory Stewart, the international development secretary, have said that they would not serve in a government led by Mr. Johnson because of concerns about his willingness to leave the European Union without a deal.

Mr. Johnson won 66 percent of the votes cast by registered party members, defeating Jeremy Hunt, his rival for the Conservative leadership and his successor as foreign secretary, by a comfortable margin.

But he will face deep challenges as he takes the helm, with Brexit looming large and tensions with Iran bubbling into a potential crisis. He also faces other problems: His Conservative Party does not have an outright majority in Parliament, and although he was elected overwhelmingly in a postal vote by dues-paying members of the party, they represented just a tiny fraction of overall British voters, so the extent of his mandate is unclear.

Nigel Farage — the populist leader of the Brexit Party, which outperformed the Conservatives in European Parliament elections in May — has said he would be open to the idea of an electoral pact between his party and the Conservatives. Mr. Johnson would have to call a general election to prevent Parliament from blocking a no-deal Brexit, he has argued, and would need such an agreement to avoid splitting the pro-Brexit vote.

In an interview at the Trump International Hotel on Tuesday evening, Mr. Farage challenged Mr. Johnson to hold a general election. He was in Washington attending a conference for conservative teenagers.

“My contention is the only way Brexit gets done by the 31st of October is if we get a brave Boris and he calls a general election,” Mr. Farage said. “That’s the only way I think this can really happen. If he calls an election, he unavoidably has to deal with me in some way.”

He added: “If he really wants to do it, I’ll help him. I could be his best friend or his worst enemy.”

During a brief speech to members of his party after the results were announced on Tuesday, Mr. Johnson, who quit Mrs. May’s cabinet because of objections to her Brexit policy, vowed that Britain would leave the European Union by the current autumn deadline.

“We’re going to get Brexit done on Oct. 31,” he said. “We’re going to take advantage of all the opportunities that it will bring in a new spirit of can-do, and we’re once again going to believe in ourselves.”

Michel Barnier, the European Union’s chief Brexit negotiator, when asked on Wednesday about his thoughts on Mr. Johnson, said he looked forward to hearing the new prime minister’s plans for Britain’s exit from the bloc.

“Is it an orderly Brexit? That is the choice, the preference of the E.U., and we worked for an orderly Brexit all along the last two years,” he said. “Is it a no-deal Brexit? The no-deal Brexit will never be the choice of the E.U. but we are prepared.”

Tensions in the Persian Gulf will also demand attention. Last week, Iran announced it had seized a British tanker in the Persian Gulf, raising the stakes in a simmering conflict with the West. Earlier this month, the British Navy seized an Iranian vessel near Gibraltar on suspicion of violating a European Union embargo on the sale of oil to Syria.

Katie Rogers contributed reporting from Washington.

As Prime Minister, Boris Johnson Faces the Brexit He Championed

Jul 23, 2019

Boris Johnson Does Things With Flair, but Does He Do Them Well?

Jul 22, 2019

Boris Johnson Shows Strength in Conservative Leadership Contest

Jun 13, 2019

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2019-07-24 12:28:16Z
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Boris Johnson on Verge of Taking Over in U.K. - The New York Times

In a short address to lawmakers, Mrs. May said she would continue to serve as a member of Parliament, and was pleased to hand over the government to Mr. Johnson.

But after some pleasantries, she launched into a raucous back and forth with the opposition in which she was questioned about Mr. Johnson’s fitness as a leader.

[Read more on Boris Johnson’s chaotic personal life.]

A handful of Conservatives who served in the previous government have resigned already, signaling they had no intention of serving under Mr. Johnson’s leadership.

He added: “If he really wants to do it, I’ll help him. I could be his best friend or his worst enemy.”

Katie Rogers contributed reporting from Washington.

As Prime Minister, Boris Johnson Faces the Brexit He Championed

Jul 23, 2019

Boris Johnson Does Things With Flair, but Does He Do Them Well?

Jul 22, 2019

Boris Johnson Shows Strength in Conservative Leadership Contest

Jun 13, 2019

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https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/24/world/europe/britain-johnson-may-prime-minister.html

2019-07-24 11:01:52Z
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Boris Johnson: New PM to form government after taking office - BBC News

Theresa May is taking MPs' questions for the final time before Boris Johnson becomes prime minister.

She told them she would continue as a constituency MP and was happy to hand over to a successor committed to delivering Brexit and creating "a bright future for this country".

Later, she will deliver a farewell speech in Downing Street before Mr Johnson takes power.

He will speak outside No 10 then begin announcing senior cabinet posts.

Mr Johnson is expected to use the opportunity to increase the number of women in full cabinet positions and boost the representation of ethnic minorities - sources say his top team will reflect "modern Britain".

At PMQs, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn paid tribute to Mrs May's "respect for public service", but criticised her record on the economy, homelessness and Brexit.

He asked whether she would consider joining him "in opposing the reckless plans of her successor".

She, in reply, listed what she felt were her achievements, including school improvements, more employment and greater home ownership.

"At its heart, politics isn't about exchanges across these despatch boxes, nor about eloquent speeches or media headlines," she said. "It is about the difference we make every day to the lives of people up and down this country."

In a parting shot at Mr Corbyn, she added: "As a party leader who has accepted when her time was up, perhaps the time is now for him to do the same."

Risky decision

Former London mayor Mr Johnson won a decisive victory over Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt in a ballot of Tory members - gaining a 66.4% total share of the vote.

Conversations are said to be "ongoing" between Mr Hunt and Mr Johnson about the foreign secretary's next role.

The BBC's Laura Kuenssberg says Mr Johnson's choice of his top team is critical in his efforts to bring the warring factions of his party together.

Mr Johnson is resolute that his leadership rival should not stay on at the Foreign Office, but Mr Hunt is firm that he won't accept anything less than his current role - or becoming home secretary, chancellor or deputy prime minister - and considers other moves a demotion.

Our political editor says it is a risky decision for the new PM - forcing Mr Hunt out would be a bad move in terms of uniting the party, but giving in to his refusal to budge is a challenge to his authority.

Meanwhile, Dominic Cummings, the former chief of the Vote Leave campaign, is expected to become a senior adviser to the new prime minister.

David Frost, a former ambassador and senior official at the Foreign Office, will be appointed as a key negotiator on Brexit.

After his victory, Mr Johnson said his priorities were to deliver Brexit, unite the country and defeat Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.

Another key decision he faces is who will take over at the Treasury after Chancellor Philip Hammond signalled his intention to resign if Mr Johnson became leader.

Those said to be in the frame include Home Secretary Sajid Javid, former Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab and Liz Truss, Mr Hammond's current deputy at the Treasury.

All the makings of a disaster?

Boris Johnson's political inheritance has all the makings of a disaster.

He has no Commons majority. There is no mandate from the general public - remember this election has only been decided by Tory members.

There are policy problems everywhere in sight, whether that's trying to solve the conundrums of Brexit with a reluctant EU and a divided party, or trying to address deep-seated problems at home.

And just as among his fans there is genuine excitement that he will, at last, be in Number 10, there is scepticism and disbelief from the opposition parties, and double-sided concerns in his own party.

Read Laura's full analysis here

Sweeping changes are expected in the wider cabinet, with a number of other ministers, including Justice Secretary David Gauke and Development Secretary Rory Stewart, having said they cannot serve under Mr Johnson due to his determination to leave the EU, with or without a deal, on 31 October.

Those tipped for promotion include Employment Minister Alok Sharma and Local Government Minister Rishi Sunak.

Priti Patel could return to the cabinet less than two years after resigning as international development secretary over a row over unauthorised meetings with Israeli officials.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Ms Patel said she did not want to "speculate" on a potential cabinet role, but added it was "important that we have a government that reflects modern Britain".

And former Sports Minister Tracey Crouch, who quit last year in a dispute with the Treasury over fixed-odds betting terminals, could also be in line for a recall.

A source close to Mr Johnson said: "Boris will build a cabinet showcasing all the talents within the party that truly reflect modern Britain."

Meanwhile, Tory donor Sir Mick Davis has resigned as chief executive of the Conservative Party, saying the new leader should be able to choose his own team.

In a letter, he urged fellow donors to get behind Boris Johnson, adding the new PM "can only be effective if a strong and unified party stands behind him".

Mr Johnson will inherit a wafer-thin parliamentary majority and, like his predecessor, will continue to rely on the support of the Democratic Unionists of Northern Ireland to govern.

Labour, the Lib Dems and the SNP have said they will oppose him over Brexit, although they have stopped short of threatening an immediate vote of no confidence.

Shadow international trade secretary Barry Gardiner said "discussions are ongoing" between Labour and potential Tory rebels to find out who might support such a vote.

He told Radio 4's Today programme it was "the nuclear option" which should be "used carefully".

Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage has said he is open to an electoral pact with Mr Johnson - if the new Tory leader is genuine about taking the UK out of the EU on 31 October.

Mr Farage said Mr Johnson would need to call an election if he wanted a no-deal Brexit, in order to "change the arithmetic" in the Commons.

But Health Secretary Matt Hancock, who is part of Mr Johnson's transition team, said the incoming PM didn't want to see an early election.

"There is no way that we are going to have any kind of electoral pact with the Brexit Party and Nigel Farage," he told the Today programme.

What the US makes of Boris Johnson

US President Donald Trump, speaking to a right-wing youth organisation in Washington DC, said Mr Johnson and Mr Farage would do "tremendous things" together.

Who is Dominic Cummings?

A political strategist and adviser known for his bullish style, Mr Cummings is a long-time Eurosceptic.

In 2004, he led the campaign against a North East regional assembly, and in 2007 went to work for Conservative MP Michael Gove, first in opposition and then while he served as education secretary.

In 2015, Mr Cummings was appointed campaign director of Vote Leave and became a key architect of its messages, including "take back control" and the controversial "£350m-a-week for the NHS" pledge.

Since the referendum, Mr Cummings has often been outspoken on the Brexit process, describing it in 2018 as having been "irretrievably botched" by the May government.

Laura Kuenssberg said some Brexiteers would be pleased with his appointment, seeing it as a strong sign of Mr Johnson's commitment to a 31 October exit. However, she said there was a lot of very angry water under the bridge between him and Tory MPs on the ERG wing because he refused to allow many of them to be involved in Vote Leave.

Earlier this year, Mr Cummings was found in contempt of Parliament for refusing to give evidence to a committee of MPs investigating "fake news". In return, he accused the committee of "spreading errors and lies".

Watch a special programme on Boris Johnson: The New Prime Minister with Andrew Marr on Wednesday 24 July at 19:30 BST on BBC One, or afterwards on BBC iPlayer.

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2019-07-24 10:22:04Z
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Boris Johnson: New PM to form government after taking office - BBC News

Theresa May is taking MPs' questions for the final time before Boris Johnson becomes prime minister.

Later, she will deliver a farewell speech in Downing Street and travel to Buckingham Palace to hand her resignation to the Queen.

Mr Johnson will then have his own audience at the palace before making his first speech as PM outside No 10.

He will then begin announcing senior cabinet posts - sources say his top team will reflect "modern Britain".

Mr Johnson is expected to use the opportunity to increase the number of women in full cabinet positions and boost the representation of ethnic minorities.

The former London mayor won a decisive victory over Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt in a ballot of Tory members - gaining a 66.4% total share of the vote.