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| Boris Johnson Becomes U.K. Prime Minister, Replacing Theresa May | Boris Johnson Becomes U.K. Prime Minister, Replacing Theresa May |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| LONDON — His jacket neatly buttoned, his hair corralled into chaos-free submission, Boris Johnson stood outside Downing Street on Wednesday and in his first moments as prime minister promised to do what so far has proved impossible: lead Britain through an orderly, on-time exit from the European Union. | LONDON — His jacket neatly buttoned, his hair corralled into chaos-free submission, Boris Johnson stood outside Downing Street on Wednesday and in his first moments as prime minister promised to do what so far has proved impossible: lead Britain through an orderly, on-time exit from the European Union. |
| “The doubters, the doomsters, the gloomsters — they are going to get it wrong,” he declared. “The people who bet against Brexit are going to lose their shirts.” | “The doubters, the doomsters, the gloomsters — they are going to get it wrong,” he declared. “The people who bet against Brexit are going to lose their shirts.” |
| It was a supremely confident, at times grandiloquent address from a man whose silver-tongued talk often surpasses his performance. After a lifetime of joking and blustering and maneuvering his way into jobs and then sabotaging himself with poor preparation and deceitful behavior, Mr. Johnson, 55, seems determined to prove he can put aside his court-jesterish ways and rise to the occasion. | It was a supremely confident, at times grandiloquent address from a man whose silver-tongued talk often surpasses his performance. After a lifetime of joking and blustering and maneuvering his way into jobs and then sabotaging himself with poor preparation and deceitful behavior, Mr. Johnson, 55, seems determined to prove he can put aside his court-jesterish ways and rise to the occasion. |
| He seemed unbothered by the fact that he is entering office with a paper-thin working parliamentary majority at a time of deep divisions within the country and in his own Conservative Party. | |
| In his speech, he vowed to flood the streets with new police officers. He promised to improve health care, to spend more on education, to bolster railroad infrastructure, to promote animal welfare, to improve satellite systems, to increase salaries, to be the prime minister for all of Britain, to restore trust in democracy and, among a dizzying array of other things, to “liberate the U.K.’s extraordinary bioscience sector from anti-genetic modification rules.” | In his speech, he vowed to flood the streets with new police officers. He promised to improve health care, to spend more on education, to bolster railroad infrastructure, to promote animal welfare, to improve satellite systems, to increase salaries, to be the prime minister for all of Britain, to restore trust in democracy and, among a dizzying array of other things, to “liberate the U.K.’s extraordinary bioscience sector from anti-genetic modification rules.” |
| His pro-Britain pronouncements and kitchen sink’s-worth of programs seemed designed as a feel-good distraction strategy, something shiny and positive to counter the gloom, alarm and discord touched off by the Brexit referendum three years ago. But Brexit was where Mr. Johnson’s speech began and where its most serious promises lay. | His pro-Britain pronouncements and kitchen sink’s-worth of programs seemed designed as a feel-good distraction strategy, something shiny and positive to counter the gloom, alarm and discord touched off by the Brexit referendum three years ago. But Brexit was where Mr. Johnson’s speech began and where its most serious promises lay. |
| Above all, Mr. Johnson vowed, Britain would leave the European Union by Oct. 31, “no ifs, or buts,” with or without a deal setting out the terms of its departure. “The British people have had enough of waiting,” he said. | Above all, Mr. Johnson vowed, Britain would leave the European Union by Oct. 31, “no ifs, or buts,” with or without a deal setting out the terms of its departure. “The British people have had enough of waiting,” he said. |
| And though later in the day he purged the old guard from his cabinet and appointed a series of loyalists and die-hard Brexiteers to the newly vacant posts, it is still a mystery how he, or they, propose to carry out Brexit. | And though later in the day he purged the old guard from his cabinet and appointed a series of loyalists and die-hard Brexiteers to the newly vacant posts, it is still a mystery how he, or they, propose to carry out Brexit. |
| Some members of Parliament, even from his own party, have vowed to prevent Mr. Johnson from allowing the country to slide into a no-deal Brexit, a scenario that Parliament has already rejected but that the prime minister says would be preferable to delaying further. | Some members of Parliament, even from his own party, have vowed to prevent Mr. Johnson from allowing the country to slide into a no-deal Brexit, a scenario that Parliament has already rejected but that the prime minister says would be preferable to delaying further. |
| Meanwhile, a number of cabinet ministers who served under the outgoing prime minister, Theresa May, resigned before Mr. Johnson took office, declaring that they could never countenance working for him. | Meanwhile, a number of cabinet ministers who served under the outgoing prime minister, Theresa May, resigned before Mr. Johnson took office, declaring that they could never countenance working for him. |
| Philip Hammond, the chancellor of the Exchequer; David Gauke, the justice secretary; Rory Stewart, international development secretary; and David Lidington, the de facto deputy prime minister — had all said they would refuse to serve in a Johnson cabinet, and all were among a dozen people who resigned, or ended up being fired, over Mr. Johnson’s accession. | Philip Hammond, the chancellor of the Exchequer; David Gauke, the justice secretary; Rory Stewart, international development secretary; and David Lidington, the de facto deputy prime minister — had all said they would refuse to serve in a Johnson cabinet, and all were among a dozen people who resigned, or ended up being fired, over Mr. Johnson’s accession. |
| Meanwhile, the opposition parties were not very impressed by Mr. Johnson’s enthusiastic promises. | Meanwhile, the opposition parties were not very impressed by Mr. Johnson’s enthusiastic promises. |
| “Boris Johnson is about to learn that there is a massive gulf between glib throwaway lines that delight the Tory faithful and the difficult decisions of leadership,” Keir Starmer, who is responsible for Labour’s Brexit policy, said on Twitter. | “Boris Johnson is about to learn that there is a massive gulf between glib throwaway lines that delight the Tory faithful and the difficult decisions of leadership,” Keir Starmer, who is responsible for Labour’s Brexit policy, said on Twitter. |
| And Nicola Sturgeon, leader of the Scottish National Party and first minister of Scotland, which is pro-Europe and anti-Brexit, posted a tweet: “Behind all the ‘make Britain great again’ type rhetoric, that speech was rambling, blame-shifting and, to put it mildly, somewhat divorced from reality.’” | And Nicola Sturgeon, leader of the Scottish National Party and first minister of Scotland, which is pro-Europe and anti-Brexit, posted a tweet: “Behind all the ‘make Britain great again’ type rhetoric, that speech was rambling, blame-shifting and, to put it mildly, somewhat divorced from reality.’” |
| In Europe, Mr. Johnson has been an unpopular figure ever since his days as a young journalist writing inaccurate articles portraying Europe as a wasteful, bloated bureaucracy determined to do things like enforce one-size-fits-all condoms. Nor did he make many friends as foreign secretary under Mrs. May, or in recent months as he maneuvered to become prime minister and increased the volume of his anti-Europe rhetoric. | In Europe, Mr. Johnson has been an unpopular figure ever since his days as a young journalist writing inaccurate articles portraying Europe as a wasteful, bloated bureaucracy determined to do things like enforce one-size-fits-all condoms. Nor did he make many friends as foreign secretary under Mrs. May, or in recent months as he maneuvered to become prime minister and increased the volume of his anti-Europe rhetoric. |
| “We look forward to hearing what the new prime minister, Boris Johnson, wants,” Michel Barnier, the European Union’s chief Brexit negotiator, told the BBC Wednesday. “Is it an orderly Brexit, which is the choice or the preference of the E.U.?” | |
| He continued: “Or is it a no-deal Brexit? The no-deal Brexit will never be — never — the choice of the E.U.” | He continued: “Or is it a no-deal Brexit? The no-deal Brexit will never be — never — the choice of the E.U.” |
| Donald Tusk, the president of the European Council, sent Mr. Johnson a terse letter that had an ominous “see me after class” vibe. After offering his congratulations, Mr. Tusk added a single sentence that appeared to allude to Mr. Johnson’s reputed sloppiness with the fine points of issues. | |
| “I look forward to meeting you to discuss — in detail — our cooperation,” Mr. Tusk wrote. | “I look forward to meeting you to discuss — in detail — our cooperation,” Mr. Tusk wrote. |
| Mr. Johnson’s speech was delivered late in the afternoon at the lectern customarily wheeled out in front of Downing Street for prime ministerial statements. It followed a long day of the choreographed pageantry that always accompanies prime ministerial transitions. But today’s events were perhaps more charged than usual, because of the crisis the country finds itself in and because the new prime minister himself is such a divisive figure. | Mr. Johnson’s speech was delivered late in the afternoon at the lectern customarily wheeled out in front of Downing Street for prime ministerial statements. It followed a long day of the choreographed pageantry that always accompanies prime ministerial transitions. But today’s events were perhaps more charged than usual, because of the crisis the country finds itself in and because the new prime minister himself is such a divisive figure. |
| Mrs. May, the outgoing prime minister, announced in May that she planned to resign as leader of the Conservative Party. Her decision came after Parliament repeatedly rejected the Brexit settlement she had negotiated with Europe, fatally weakening her position within the party as would-be rivals began circling overhead. It also touched off the party leadership battle that Mr. Johnson eventually won, allowing him to accede to the prime minister job. | Mrs. May, the outgoing prime minister, announced in May that she planned to resign as leader of the Conservative Party. Her decision came after Parliament repeatedly rejected the Brexit settlement she had negotiated with Europe, fatally weakening her position within the party as would-be rivals began circling overhead. It also touched off the party leadership battle that Mr. Johnson eventually won, allowing him to accede to the prime minister job. |
| By tradition, Mrs. May remained in office for the early part of the day. After a final lunch with her husband, Philip, at 10 Downing Street, she made a short statement to the news media. | By tradition, Mrs. May remained in office for the early part of the day. After a final lunch with her husband, Philip, at 10 Downing Street, she made a short statement to the news media. |
| “Stop Brexit!” someone shouted in the background. “I think not,” Mrs. May replied. | “Stop Brexit!” someone shouted in the background. “I think not,” Mrs. May replied. |
| Mr. and Mrs. May were then driven to Buckingham Palace so she could offer her resignation to Queen Elizabeth. They left. | Mr. and Mrs. May were then driven to Buckingham Palace so she could offer her resignation to Queen Elizabeth. They left. |
| Then Mr. Johnson, whose limousine was briefly blocked by protesters, arrived and also met with the Queen. By custom, she “invited” him to form a new government, and by custom he accepted. That procedure is known as “kissing the hand” of the monarch, in the old days a sign of personal loyalty. | Then Mr. Johnson, whose limousine was briefly blocked by protesters, arrived and also met with the Queen. By custom, she “invited” him to form a new government, and by custom he accepted. That procedure is known as “kissing the hand” of the monarch, in the old days a sign of personal loyalty. |
| Prime ministers no longer literally have to kiss any body parts to take office. | Prime ministers no longer literally have to kiss any body parts to take office. |
| The queen, now 93, took the throne in 1952, when she was 25 and Winston Churchill was the prime minister. Mr. Johnson is the queen’s 14th prime minister, tying the record set by King George III between 1760 and 1820. | |
| In Mrs. May’s last big political appearance as prime minister, presiding over the weekly ritual known as Prime Minister’s Questions, she was exposed Wednesday to a range of thoughts not only about her outgoing premiership, but also about the incoming one of Mr. Johnson. | In Mrs. May’s last big political appearance as prime minister, presiding over the weekly ritual known as Prime Minister’s Questions, she was exposed Wednesday to a range of thoughts not only about her outgoing premiership, but also about the incoming one of Mr. Johnson. |
| Statements to the prime minister in Question Time take the form of questions, and on this occasion some were designed to try to prod or trick Mrs. May into criticizing Mr. Johnson. | Statements to the prime minister in Question Time take the form of questions, and on this occasion some were designed to try to prod or trick Mrs. May into criticizing Mr. Johnson. |
| She didn’t take the bait, not even when Jo Swinson, the first woman to become leader of the opposition Liberal Democratic Party, rose with a particularly pointed query. | She didn’t take the bait, not even when Jo Swinson, the first woman to become leader of the opposition Liberal Democratic Party, rose with a particularly pointed query. |
| ‘‘Can I ask the prime minister,” Ms. Swinson said, “what advice she has 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?’’ | ‘‘Can I ask the prime minister,” Ms. Swinson said, “what advice she has 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?’’ |
| Megan Specia contributed reporting. | Megan Specia contributed reporting. |