Boris Johnson named new Prime Minister

Boris Johnson has defeated Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt to be named as Conservative party leader, and therefore the new Prime Minister.

Winning 92,153 Conservative member votes, compared to Hunt’s 46,656, Johnson paid tribute to both his opponent and predecessor, thanking Theresa May for her service to the country and calling it an honour to service in her cabinet (from which he resigned in July).

Turnout in the leadership contest was 87.4 per cent among 159,320 party members. Johnson's share of the vote - 66.4 per cent - was slightly lower than that garnered by David Cameron in the 2005 Tory leadership election (Cameron won 67.6 per cent).

The former Mayor of London will not formally take office until the afternoon of 24 July, as May will face her final Prime Minister’s questions in the House of Commons before tendering her resignation to the Queen. Johnson will then go to Buckingham Palace himself for his appointment to be confirmed.

Several key cabinet ministers, including the Chancellor Philip Hammond and Justice Secretary David Gauke, have resigned rather than serve under Johnson’s leadership, citing his willingness to countenance leaving the European Union without a deal on 31 October, rather than postpone Brexit once again. 

Foreign Office minister Alan Duncan had already resigned before the voting results were announced, as has Education Minister Anne Milton. Former leadership contender Rory Stewart has also announced he will be returning to the backbenches.

Cabinet Office Minister David Lidington has also since resigned. Johnson has begun reshaping his cabinet, with Defence Secretary Penny Mordaunt, Business Secretary Greg Clark, Foreign Secretary and leadership opponent Jeremy Hunt and International Trade Secretary Dr Liam Fox all stepping down from their posts.

Away from Westminster, there are also concerns north of the border, with Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon saying that she has 'profound concerns' about Boris Johnson becoming Prime Minister.

She said: "I congratulate Boris Johnson on his election as Tory leader and I will do everything possible to ensure that he respects Scotland's views and interests. However, I have profound concerns about the prospect of his premiership and it would be hypocritical not to be frank about these.

"These are concerns that I am certain will be shared by the vast majority of people in Scotland who, had they been given any say, would not have chosen to hand the keys of Number 10 to someone with his views and track record."

Also distant from Westminster, Johnson’s victory was almost immediately welcomed by US President Donald Trump who tweeted: “He will be great!”

Aside from Hammond, Gauke and select others, some Conservative MPs have been quick to congratulate Johnson, with former leader of the House of Commons Andrea Leadsom saying that Johnson is a ‘passionate believer in the UK's future outside the European Union’. James Cleverly, a vocal Johnson supporter and Brexit Minister, said that the incoming Prime Minister has won a ‘very clear’ mandate from Tory party members which will give him a ‘really good foundation’ to deliver on the promises he made during his leadership campaign.

Professor Alex de Ruyter, director of Birmingham City University’s Centre for Brexit Studies, said that following Johnson’s successful bid for the Tory leadership, his Brexit stance could end up triggering a general election - or even another referendum.

Local government reaction
James Jamieson, Chairman of the Local Government Association, said: “I would like to congratulate Boris Johnson on becoming our next Prime Minister and look forward to meeting and working with him and his government to help deliver his domestic agenda, and on the key issues and opportunities which lie ahead.

“Councils are uniquely placed to support and build strong communities, lead the delivery of joined up services that can help to change lives for the better and build strong local economies that support your national economic priorities. Through devolution, councils can empower their communities and at the same time, ensure funding is used efficiently to deliver real change. This is the perfect opportunity to bring central and local government closer together to realise the opportunities devolution can offer.

“The next Queen’s Speech is a real opportunity for change by including new English Devolution and Local Government Finance Bills. With the right funding and powers underpinned by local accountability and sector led improvement, councils can continue to lead local areas, improve residents’ lives, reduce demand for public services and save money for the taxpayer.”

David Williams, chairman-elect of the County Councils Network and leader of Hertfordshire County Council, said: “The County Councils Network would like to welcome the incoming Prime Minister. It is heartening that someone with a background in local government is taking over at No.10. Working in partnership with government, county authorities can help to solve many of the challenges that we collectively face, as well as grasping the opportunities we have as a nation.

“Whilst Brexit will clearly be the number one priority for the new government, we urge the new Prime Minster to make local government funding his immediate domestic priority. Local authorities face a funding black hole of £51.8 billion over the next six years. After nine years of austerity where councils have done more than any other part of the public sector to restore the finances of this country, the elastic can be stretched no further.

“Plans and budgets are being prepared against a background of unprecedented uncertainty. Councils need urgent clarity on our funding levels for next year. We accept that the Spending Review may be delayed, but the financial plight faced by well-run councils cannot be ignored if we are to prevent further cutbacks to services. Therefore, local authorities need a significant emergency injection of funding and a longer-term funding settlement.

“At the same time, we ask for a cast-iron commitment to the Fair Funding Review. Whilst a one-year delay in implementing the review may be inevitable owing to the extenuating national circumstances, there is an imperative to finalise the proposals and addressing the funding inequities between rural and urban areas.

“More widely, we stand ready to work with ministers on a positive agenda as we head into the post-Brexit period. If supported by the right devolved powers and funding, particularly in areas such as strategic planning, infrastructure, broadband and skills, county authorities can deliver our shared objectives of strong economic and employment growth for UK plc, sustainable housing growth and improved social mobility for the next generation.”