This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/28/world/europe/boris-johnson-brexit.html
The article has changed 8 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Boris Johnson Appeals for Calm as ‘Brexit’ Vote Roils British Politics | Boris Johnson Appeals for Calm as ‘Brexit’ Vote Roils British Politics |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| LONDON — Boris Johnson, the former mayor of London and the most prominent face of Britain’s campaign to leave the European Union, tried to assure Britons on Monday that their country “is part of Europe, and always will be,” pledged that the changes “will not come in any great rush,” and promised “a Britain rebooted, reset, renewed and able to engage with the whole world.” | LONDON — Boris Johnson, the former mayor of London and the most prominent face of Britain’s campaign to leave the European Union, tried to assure Britons on Monday that their country “is part of Europe, and always will be,” pledged that the changes “will not come in any great rush,” and promised “a Britain rebooted, reset, renewed and able to engage with the whole world.” |
| In an opinion essay on Monday in the conservative newspaper The Telegraph, Mr. Johnson offered his most detailed remarks since Britons voted on Thursday, 52 percent to 48 percent, to leave the European Union, sending shock waves around the world. | In an opinion essay on Monday in the conservative newspaper The Telegraph, Mr. Johnson offered his most detailed remarks since Britons voted on Thursday, 52 percent to 48 percent, to leave the European Union, sending shock waves around the world. |
| Mr. Johnson is widely seen as a leading contender to succeed Prime Minister David Cameron, who said after the results were announced on Friday that he would resign by October. | Mr. Johnson is widely seen as a leading contender to succeed Prime Minister David Cameron, who said after the results were announced on Friday that he would resign by October. |
| Stocks of British banks continued to plunge in response to the vote, even though George Osborne, the chancellor of the Exchequer and effectively the No. 2 figure in the government, made an address before markets opened on Monday. | Stocks of British banks continued to plunge in response to the vote, even though George Osborne, the chancellor of the Exchequer and effectively the No. 2 figure in the government, made an address before markets opened on Monday. |
| Mr. Osborne called the decision to leave the European Union “not the outcome that I wanted,” but he told the markets that Britain was “ready to deal with the consequences.” Nonetheless, stocks dropped on Monday, and the pound fell further — it was trading at $1.32 in midmorning, compared with the high of $1.50 it reached just before the referendum. | Mr. Osborne called the decision to leave the European Union “not the outcome that I wanted,” but he told the markets that Britain was “ready to deal with the consequences.” Nonetheless, stocks dropped on Monday, and the pound fell further — it was trading at $1.32 in midmorning, compared with the high of $1.50 it reached just before the referendum. |
| Mr. Johnson struck a conciliatory note, writing, “We who are part of this narrow majority must do everything we can to reassure the Remainers.” He also wrote that “there will continue to be free trade, and access to the single market.” | Mr. Johnson struck a conciliatory note, writing, “We who are part of this narrow majority must do everything we can to reassure the Remainers.” He also wrote that “there will continue to be free trade, and access to the single market.” |
| He also sought to soothe the fears of the 3.3 million European Union citizens living in Britain and of the 1.2 million Britons living elsewhere in the bloc. | |
| “E.U. citizens living in this country will have their rights fully protected,” he wrote, “and the same goes for British citizens living in the E.U.” | |
| European leaders have been pressing Britain to quickly begin the formal process for an exit, but with the country in a political crisis, Mr. Cameron and leading members of the “Leave” campaign have expressed a desire to move cautiously. | European leaders have been pressing Britain to quickly begin the formal process for an exit, but with the country in a political crisis, Mr. Cameron and leading members of the “Leave” campaign have expressed a desire to move cautiously. |
| Mr. Johnson offered no details about when or how Britain should invoke Article 50 — the formal process for leaving the European Union — nor did he lay out a plan for how Britain could maintain free trade with the European Union, the world’s largest common market, without accepting the bloc’s demand for the unrestricted movement of workers. | Mr. Johnson offered no details about when or how Britain should invoke Article 50 — the formal process for leaving the European Union — nor did he lay out a plan for how Britain could maintain free trade with the European Union, the world’s largest common market, without accepting the bloc’s demand for the unrestricted movement of workers. |
| Immigration was a flash point in the bitter debate before the referendum. Mr. Johnson wrote in The Telegraph that “the government will be able to take back democratic control of immigration policy, with a balanced and humane points-based system to suit the needs of business and industry,” but he did not elaborate. | Immigration was a flash point in the bitter debate before the referendum. Mr. Johnson wrote in The Telegraph that “the government will be able to take back democratic control of immigration policy, with a balanced and humane points-based system to suit the needs of business and industry,” but he did not elaborate. |
| Mr. Johnson also wrote: “It is said that those who voted Leave were mainly driven by anxieties about immigration. I do not believe that is so.” The main issue was a loss of control, he said. | Mr. Johnson also wrote: “It is said that those who voted Leave were mainly driven by anxieties about immigration. I do not believe that is so.” The main issue was a loss of control, he said. |
| A committee of rank-and-file Conservative lawmakers met on Monday and proposed a timetable to select two candidates for party leader. The party’s 125,000 members would choose between the two, with the goal of selecting a new leader — and therefore a new prime minister — by Sept. 2. | A committee of rank-and-file Conservative lawmakers met on Monday and proposed a timetable to select two candidates for party leader. The party’s 125,000 members would choose between the two, with the goal of selecting a new leader — and therefore a new prime minister — by Sept. 2. |
| The British news media reported that several lawmakers were pushing to slow the process, in an effort to stop the momentum of Mr. Johnson — a boisterous and often unpredictable Manhattan native and former journalist. | The British news media reported that several lawmakers were pushing to slow the process, in an effort to stop the momentum of Mr. Johnson — a boisterous and often unpredictable Manhattan native and former journalist. |
| The home secretary, Theresa May, who is in charge of domestic security and who advocated remaining in the European Union, has emerged as perhaps the most credible alternative. | The home secretary, Theresa May, who is in charge of domestic security and who advocated remaining in the European Union, has emerged as perhaps the most credible alternative. |
| As the Conservatives braced for a bitter leadership struggle, the opposition Labour Party found itself in a state of civil war, with veteran lawmakers calling for the resignation of its leader, Jeremy Corbyn. | As the Conservatives braced for a bitter leadership struggle, the opposition Labour Party found itself in a state of civil war, with veteran lawmakers calling for the resignation of its leader, Jeremy Corbyn. |
| There are concerns, particularly among the party’s members of Parliament, that Labour’s position as one of Britain’s two main political parties — a status it has held since 1922 — is at risk. | There are concerns, particularly among the party’s members of Parliament, that Labour’s position as one of Britain’s two main political parties — a status it has held since 1922 — is at risk. |
| Large numbers of voters in traditional Labour strongholds in Northeast England and Wales — many of which are economically depressed areas that receive large amounts of European Union aid — voted to leave the bloc. | Large numbers of voters in traditional Labour strongholds in Northeast England and Wales — many of which are economically depressed areas that receive large amounts of European Union aid — voted to leave the bloc. |
| Those votes were cast despite the Labour Party’s official position. Mr. Corbyn’s tepid approach to campaigning for the Remain campaign was cited as a reason many traditional Labour supporters had chosen to side with the nationalist, anti-European U.K. Independence Party. | Those votes were cast despite the Labour Party’s official position. Mr. Corbyn’s tepid approach to campaigning for the Remain campaign was cited as a reason many traditional Labour supporters had chosen to side with the nationalist, anti-European U.K. Independence Party. |
| “Too many of our supporters were taken in by right-wing arguments and I believe this happened, in part, because under your leadership the case to remain in the E.U. was made with halfhearted ambivalence rather than full-throated clarity,” Angela Eagle, the party’s spokeswoman on business issues, wrote in a letter announcing her resignation from Mr. Corbyn’s team. | “Too many of our supporters were taken in by right-wing arguments and I believe this happened, in part, because under your leadership the case to remain in the E.U. was made with halfhearted ambivalence rather than full-throated clarity,” Angela Eagle, the party’s spokeswoman on business issues, wrote in a letter announcing her resignation from Mr. Corbyn’s team. |
| Even the party’s deputy leader, Tom Watson, a Corbyn loyalist, warned Mr. Corbyn that he had “no authority” over Labour lawmakers, and that he faced a “bruising” battle if he wanted to stay. | Even the party’s deputy leader, Tom Watson, a Corbyn loyalist, warned Mr. Corbyn that he had “no authority” over Labour lawmakers, and that he faced a “bruising” battle if he wanted to stay. |
| With both major parties in considerable disarray, the British Civil Service worked on Monday to calm the financial markets and to keep the government running. | With both major parties in considerable disarray, the British Civil Service worked on Monday to calm the financial markets and to keep the government running. |
| Helen Bower, a spokeswoman for Mr. Cameron, told reporters that a second referendum was “not remotely on the cards” and also responded to calls for a new independence referendum for Scotland. | Helen Bower, a spokeswoman for Mr. Cameron, told reporters that a second referendum was “not remotely on the cards” and also responded to calls for a new independence referendum for Scotland. |
| Scotland voted in 2014 to remain in the United Kingdom, but on Thursday, 62 percent of Scots voted to remain in the European Union. | Scotland voted in 2014 to remain in the United Kingdom, but on Thursday, 62 percent of Scots voted to remain in the European Union. |
| Scotland’s pro-independence first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, has called a second independence referendum “highly likely,” but Ms. Bower said on Monday that such a vote would be the “last thing that Scotland needs now.” | Scotland’s pro-independence first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, has called a second independence referendum “highly likely,” but Ms. Bower said on Monday that such a vote would be the “last thing that Scotland needs now.” |
| Mr. Cameron was due to address Parliament at 3:30 p.m., his first substantive remarks since his resignation announcement on Friday morning. | Mr. Cameron was due to address Parliament at 3:30 p.m., his first substantive remarks since his resignation announcement on Friday morning. |
| John Kerry, the United States secretary of state, was to visit London on Monday to meet with Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond over the fallout from the referendum, which has strained the “special relationship” between the two countries. | John Kerry, the United States secretary of state, was to visit London on Monday to meet with Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond over the fallout from the referendum, which has strained the “special relationship” between the two countries. |
| Mr. Kerry spoke about the degree to which the United States valued a “strong E.U.” during a news conference at the headquarters of the European Commission in Brussels on Monday. | Mr. Kerry spoke about the degree to which the United States valued a “strong E.U.” during a news conference at the headquarters of the European Commission in Brussels on Monday. |
| The range of issues on which the United States and Europe needed to cooperate included climate protection, counterterrorism and immigration, said Mr. Kerry, who spoke alongside Federica Mogherini, the European Union’s foreign policy chief. | The range of issues on which the United States and Europe needed to cooperate included climate protection, counterterrorism and immigration, said Mr. Kerry, who spoke alongside Federica Mogherini, the European Union’s foreign policy chief. |
| “So I think it is absolutely essential that we stay focused on how, in this transitional period, nobody loses their head, nobody goes off half-cocked, people don’t start ginning up scatterbrained or revengeful premises, but we look for ways to maintain the strength that will serve the interests and the values that brought us together in the first place,” Mr. Kerry said. | “So I think it is absolutely essential that we stay focused on how, in this transitional period, nobody loses their head, nobody goes off half-cocked, people don’t start ginning up scatterbrained or revengeful premises, but we look for ways to maintain the strength that will serve the interests and the values that brought us together in the first place,” Mr. Kerry said. |