The day’s political developments as they happen, including Tory leadership and Theresa May’s final cabinet meeting as PM
- Boris Johnson elected new Tory leader
- Tory leadership election: the full results
- Full text of Johnson’s victory speech
- Johnson’s victory speech - Snap analysis
- Trump claims Johnson popular because he’s seen as ‘Britain’s Trump’
That’s all from us for this evening. Here’s a summary of the day’s developments:
Related: Brussels greets Boris Johnson victory by rejecting Brexit plans
Related: Ambition fulfilled for Boris Johnson. But what next for Britain?
Speaking to the LBC radio station, Andrea Leadsom has made it clear she’s angling for a Treasury position, citing her long career experience as evidence of her suitability.
BREAKING: @andrealeadsom on @LBC tells me...
'I've spent 25 years in finance, four years on the treasury select committee and a year as City minister - I'd be very interested in a role in the Treasury'. pic.twitter.com/AVikR6tWup
A former ambassador to Denmark and Foreign and Commonwealth Office official is being tipped to be named as Boris Johnson’s new Brexit negotiator, replacing Olly Robbins.
David Frost is a career diplomat who was head of Europe at the Foreign Office and served as a special adviser to Boris Johnson during the incoming prime minister’s time there.
David is good, he knows Europe inside out. But Johnson will need someone at a senior level in the civil service who will be in charge of the day to day work.
The Campaign Against Antisemitism is giving Corbyn’s antisemitism plans short shrift. Its chief executive, Gideon Falter, has said:
Years too late, Jeremy Corbyn has finally agreed that those who hate Jews should be expelled from the Labour party quickly. What has been lacking all of this time is willpower, not procedures.
When the Labour party wants to expel a member, they already have the procedures they need: we have seen lightning-fast action, even against senior party figures, such as Alastair Campbell and Hilary Armstrong, just not for antisemitism.
Sinn Féin will work to protect the peace process and the Good Friday Agreement in all its parts, including the commitment to calling a referendum on Irish Unity, the party’s deputy leader Michelle O’Neill has said.
The British government has responsibilities and commitments under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement and we will hold them to account.
We will continue to stand up for Irish interests, for the majority of citizens in the North who voted on a cross-community basis to remain within the EU.
Labour’s ruling body has accepted Jeremy Corbyn’s plans for dealing with antisemitism complaints. The national executive committee (NEC) agreed to endorse the proposal to allow fast-track expulsions in the most serious cases, a party spokesman has said.
It is understood the agreement came after the withdrawal of a motion calling for a fully independent process for dealing with such cases – an idea backed by the Labour MP Ruth Smeeth among others.
The vast majority of Labour members are motivated by equality, justice and fairness, and despise antisemitism.
The party is taking decisive and robust action against antisemitism and the rate at which antisemitism cases are dealt with has increased more than four-fold since Jennie Formby became general secretary.
The Financial Times has reported this evening that Johnson has hired the Sky executive, Andrew Griffith, to be his chief business adviser in Downing Street. This comes after Griffith loaned Johnson his £9.5m Westminster townhouse from which to run his campaign.
Reacting to the news, the shadow minister for the Cabinet Office, Jon Trickett, has said:
Before he is even appointed prime minister, one of Boris Johnson’s first acts is to dish out a powerful job in No 10 to his super-rich pal who lent him his luxurious house in Westminster for the Tory leadership campaign.
The public would be forgiven for coming to the conclusion that Johnson’s friends can buy influence within the new administration.
The Democratic Unionist party MP, Sammy Wilson, has claimed the “problem along the [Irish] border is an illusionary one”, despite both UK government and EU officials having made clear they believe it to be very real indeed.
Asked how he felt Boris Johnson would sort the Irish border issue and whether people were needlessly worried, Wilson said:
I think that the Irish border is sorted anyhow, because the problem along the border is an illusionary one ... I think they are worried for no reason.
If you look at the Irish border at present, we have to collect taxes across the Irish border every day.
The mechanism for dealing with all of the things that need to be dealt with unobtrusively is already there.
Here is some more international reaction to Boris Johnson’s election.
From the Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau
Congratulations, @BorisJohnson - I look forward to working with you to keep the close friendship between Canada & the UK strong and to increase trade and create more jobs for people in both our countries.
Congratulations on your appointment as PM of UK @BorisJohnson. “No one has a monopoly on wisdom”, you just said. I truely hope you will remember your own words and listen to the majority in UK and EU who wants a balanced and negotiated Brexit.
Congratulations @BorisJohnson on your election to be the next Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. The UK is a strong Ally & I look forward to working closely with you, including to prepare the meeting of #NATO leaders in London in December. pic.twitter.com/Uew8huJdBx
This is from the BBC’s Steve Rosenberg, on how Russian TV is covering this story.
Russia’s Channel 1 on Britain’s new PM: anchor says “Boris Johnson is best known, not for his work, but his eccentricity.” Theresa May is depicted as Mary Poppins flying away “having been a total failure.” I get the feeling Russian TV’s enjoying this... pic.twitter.com/BsEbGGan7l
Following her muted congratulations statement earlier, the Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson has told BBC Scotland that she will judge Boris Johnson on his actions in office, pointing out that he was not her first choice and that she did not vote for him. She added that he would have to “make a pretty good fist of it pretty early” because of the challenges he faces. During the interview in Newcastle this afternoon, Davidson reportedly missed a call from Johnson, which she returned.
As my colleague Joan E Greve writes on US Politics Live, my Washington equivalent, in his speech to Turning Point USA President Trump also said that Nigel Farage, the Brexit party leader, who was in the audience, would work well with Boris Johnson. This is from the Wall Street Journal’s Vivian Salama.
Trump notes that Nigel Farage is in the crowd for his speech to Turning Point USA. "I said 'what's Nigel doing here?' He's a little older than you folks. He's going to work well with Boris. They're going to do tremendous things."
He adds: "Boris is good. he'll do a good job."
The Telegraph’s Ben Riley-Smith has the full quote from Donald Trump.
BREAKING: Trump praises “tough” and “smart” Boris Johnson.
Also says he’s known as ‘Britain Trump’. Quote below. pic.twitter.com/eqNxIkmxJu
This is from CBS’s Mark Knoller.
"Good man," says Pres Trump of Britain's next Prime Minister Boris Johnson. "He's tough and he's smart," @POTUS tells conservative teen student summit. Says Johnson is known as "Britain's Trump. They like me over there," says @POTUS. pic.twitter.com/8LJfKULMpU
This is from Newt Gingrich, the US Republican who was Speaker of the House of Representatives in the late 1990s. Gingrich specialised in hardline, adversarial tactics (his refusal to pass budgets led to several government shutdowns) and he is seen as someone who in some respects paved the way for the politics of Donald Trump.
Boris Johnson is the Donald Trump of Britain.Put on your seat belt and prepare for a wild ride.He will cut through a lot of the conventional wisdom and the European bureaucrats will find he is much smarter and tougher than his predecessor.Think Margaret Thatcher with wild hair.
On a good day to slip out written ministerial statements: the transport secretary, Chris Grayling, has revealed that the cost of the troubled Crossrail programme has risen again.
Works on track and stations on the overground section to the west of London, carried out by Network Rail, have run another £210m over budget since an update in 2018, bringing the total cost to date to more than £17.8bn.
In an interview with the BBC, the Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has said that he expected Boris Johnson to make a statement to MPs on Thursday, the final day before the summer recess starts.
Corbyn also refused to say when Labour would table a vote of no confidence in Johnson’s government. Asked about this, Corbyn just said Labour would go for a no confidence vote when it was “appropriate to do so”.
This is from Ulrike Demmer, deputy spokeswoman from the German government.
Kanzlerin #Merkel zur Wahl von Boris #Johnson: Ich gratuliere Boris Johnson und freue mich auf eine gute Zusammenarbeit. Unsere Länder soll auch in Zukunft eine enge Freundschaft verbinden.
Chancellor #Merkel on the selection of Boris #Johnson: I congratulate Boris Johnson and am looking forward to good cooperation. Our countries should also be close friends in future.
Boris Johnson has now finished speaking to Tory MPs at the 1922 Committee.
Here are more tweets about what he said.
It’s a smorgasbord of questions at the 1922. Boris Johnson answering qs on HS2, high streets, and building more naval ships and move the Eden Project to Morecombe.
“The most memorable moment was when he pledged to insert high speed broadband into every orifice,” says on MP
MP says Boris Johnson promised there would be no election. One reporter asks “did you believe him?”
Pause
“No.”
Other pledges Boris Johnson takes to 1922
* insert broadband into 'every orifice, of every home'
* build more naval ships
* high streets help
* Brexit will be a 'towering success'
Importantly though Boris Johnson apparently said at 1922 'wouldn't it be be great if we came out on October 31'
Hardly the categorical do or die promise he's been making.
Now being told Boris was very categoric about leaving EU on October 31.
'it made us all feel good. We needed it.'
Another said: 'it was vintage Boris'
Boris Johnson has told Tory MPs he will not hold an early election, saying it was “not a priority”... received a “tubthumping” response
Asked how he’ll respond to Iran crisis, Boris Johnson said he’ll build more naval ships according to an MP in the room
Tobias Ellwood stood up to ask Boris Johnson a question... sharp intake of breath from Tory MPs... but he asks if he will move party conference to Bournemouth
Exiting MP suggests Johnson refused to rule out an election imminently, only saying he insisted he “didn’t want” one.
ERG’s Steve Baker on what Boris Johnson said about an early election.
“Doesn’t wish to have one”
“In due course”
“In the fullness of time”
Just chased Boris Johnson out of the 1922 committee meeting. He said he felt "impatient" when asked how he felt to finally realise his dream of becoming PM.
HuffPost’s Paul Waugh has a better version of the Keith Simpson quote.
Keith Simpson MP comes out of 1922 cttee "I've had enough".
Says all of Boris fans were huddled in "the body of the kirk..like the ambitious little shits they are".
Corrected quote "they were all in the body of the Kirk, trying to look as if they are not ambitious little shits".
More on Boris Johnson at the 1922 Committee.
First Tory MP emerges - Kieth Simpson.
He days Boris Johnson made “so many” jokes it was like “the circus had come to town”.
Adds ambitious MPs hoping to be in the cabinet were huddled in the corner - “the little s***s”.
Boris Johnson arrived at the 1922 Committee with Sajid Javid, the home secretary, at his side, increasing speculating that Javid could be appointed chancellor tomorrow. This is from my colleague Heather Stewart.
Am no body language expert but watched Javid saunter down the aisle to take his seat before the results were announced earlier and thought I detected a certain contented swagger. Not a man troubled by the guy ropes of self-doubt. https://t.co/PHxpiW2zy2
Reshuffle rumours ....
No fewer than 3 Boris backers have tipped Liz Truss for Chancellor to me during this afternoon. The first female Chancellor — that’s a bit of history. And Truss is super smart as well
A bit embarrassing for The Saj if true ....
It is worth pointing out that the Tory Brexiters are also very happy with the appointment of Mark Spencer as the new chief whip. (See 4.10pm.)
This is from the New Statesman’s Patrick Maguire. It quotes Steve Baker, the deputy chairman of the European Research Group, which represents Tories pushing for a harder Brexit. The “Spartans” is the nickname given to the ERG hardliners who refused to give in and vote for Theresa May’s Brexit deal.
Thumbs up from the Spartans on Johnson's choice of chief whip. Steve Baker tells me: "Mark is a very skilful and authoritative man, thoroughly respected across the Party."
Well done @Mark_Spencer who was our @DExEUgov Whip. Solid, unflappable and a straight shooter. He'll be a great Chief Whip. https://t.co/b3YVI3R4rk
This is from Jean-Claude Juncker, the outgoing president of the European commission.
@BorisJohnson, please accept my warmest congratulations on your appointment as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
I look forward to working together in the best possible way. pic.twitter.com/27fdjfxrVs
Boris Johnson is now addressing the 1922 Committee.
These are from Sky’s Aubrey Allegretti, HuffPost’s Paul Waugh and my colleague Jessica Elgot.
The man himself arrives.
Boris Johnson strolls down the corridor and into the room to be greeted by Tory MPs with much banging of desks, cheering and clapping.
He gives a nod to journalists as he enters.
I count seven rounds of desk banging since Boris Johnson arrived five minutes ago.
Tory MPs keen to give him a warm welcome - and let the waiting hacks outside know!
Sometimes when the wall banging is mega intense it sounds like the Tory MPs are trying to escape from the room...
Louder than anything I've heard in recent years. Usually it's a polite rumble, today it's a noisy drumming.
Like God's moving the furniture, as I used to be told as a kid.
Big guffaw now too. He's obviously working the crowd. Just under half of which failed to vote for him in the leadership contest.
MP inside the 1922 says this is a consensus speech by Boris Johnson to the private meeting of MPs. “He’s re-establishing himself as a one nation Tory”
Mark Spencer will be Boris Johnson’s chief whip. Spencer is not exactly well known to the Westminster press corps - there has been a lot of Googling going on this afternoon - but his appointment has been welcomed by MPs from the mainstream of the party.
From Sir Nicholas Soames
Absolutely delighted to hear of the appointment of Mark Spencer as Chief Whip . A really excellent sane and wise choice #areallygoodman
Great first appointment by @BorisJohnson as @Mark_Spencer becomes Chief Whip. Smart pick. A hugely respected Colleague who will provide a reliable anchor to the new Government in inevitably stormy seas. https://t.co/SUB6UcLUnh
I am delighted for @Mark_Spencer on his appointment as the new Chief Whip, a great friend and a fantastic sense of humour.
Mark Spencer is one of the nicest people in the Conservative Parliamentary Party. Firm, fair, with his feet planted firmly on the ground. And he makes great pies! https://t.co/pHHUYRTDlq
It is striking that @BorisJohnson's first appointment - to the life-or-death post of chief whip - is a remainer, Mark Spencer. Tory MPs tell me Spencer is likeable and clubbable however. So maybe this is a conciliatory unifying gesture by Johnson. Or maybe it will...
will upset the many ERG true Brexiters without whose support Johnson could never have won. Is this the Great Tory Fightback or the Great Johnson Betrayal?
Mark Spencer is the new chief whip. Interesting choice. A whips' whip. Welcomed by Hunt backers.
Confirmed: Boris has made the first appointment to his Cabinet - his Chief Whip will be Mark Spencer. A little known but well-liked backroom operator (original ht @MrHarryCole)
YouGov has released some more polling on Boris Johnson, the results of a snap survey conducted in the last few hours. Almost half of voters are either dismayed or disappointed by his election as next PM, the survey suggests.
SNAP POLL: Which of the following best reflects your reaction to Boris Johnson becoming leader?
Dismayed: 37%
Pleased: 18%
Disappointed: 10%
Delighted: 10%
Don’t mind either way: 17%https://t.co/HIIFAgL8kPpic.twitter.com/ztQ8odZI1W
And here is Mike Pompeo, the US secretary of state, congratulating Boris Johnson on his election.
We congratulate @BorisJohnson on his election as the new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. We look forward to making our #SpecialRelationship even stronger.
Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s long-serving prime minister, has congratulated Boris Johnson.
Heartfelt congratulations from Jerusalem, @BorisJohnson. Looking forward to working closely together, both in facing our common challenges and seizing the opportunities ahead. pic.twitter.com/YeIc5qyxcL
Boris Johnson is shortly to address Tory MPs at the 1922 Committee. This is from Sky’s Aubrey Allegretti.
I’m outside the committee room where incoming PM Boris Johnson is due to make his first address to Tory MPs in Parliament.
Sir Graham Brady, Stephen Barclay and Liz Truss have all arrived early to secure prime seats.
From ITV’s Paul Brand
EXCL: Civil service clear-out has already begun. Understand PM's Principal Private Secretary Peter Hill announced to Downing Street staff this afternoon that he's resigning.
Emmanuel Macron, the French president, has praised Theresa May for not trying to obstruct the workings of the EU, in words that seem aimed at Boris Johnson, the Express’s Joe Barnes reports.
Macron offers a veiled warning to Boris Johnson: 'I want to thank Theresa May for the good work we've done together in recent years.
'She showed a lot of courage and dignity while working with us. She never blocked the functioning of the EU and she tried to serve UK interests.'
The incoming European commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, has congratulated Boris Johnson on his election as Tory leader and next PM. “We have the duty to deliver something which is good for the people of Europe and the United Kingdom,” she told reporters during a visit to France.
Scottish Conservatives remain anxious about Boris Johnson’s impact on support for independence, but rather more optimistic after a campaign that gave prominence to the union. After a meeting between Johnson and most of the Scottish Tory MPs at Westminster last week, there is a belief that he is willing to listen to those who know more about the nuances of politics north of the border, and well aware of the importance of this baker’s dozen to parliamentary arithmetic.
But Scottish Tory MSPs – the majority of whom supported Hunt – believe they will struggle to sell Johnson on the doorstep, given that Ruth Davidson’s electoral success has been based on a modern, anti-elitist version of Conservatism which many (especially the SNP) will argue that Johnson does not represent.
Related: Scottish Tories still anxious over Johnson's impact on the union
Arlene Foster, the DUP leader, has released this statement about a conversation she had with Boris Johnson after his election as Tory leader and next PM. Foster implies Johnson is planning an early visit to Northern Ireland. She says:
I have spoken with Boris Johnson and congratulated him on becoming leader of the Conservative party.
We discussed our shared objectives of strengthening every part of the union, ensuring the 2016 referendum result is implemented and seeing devolution restored in Northern Ireland.
And, on the subject of Hormuz, this is from Iran’s foreign minister, Javad Zarif.
The May govt's seizure of Iranian oil at behest of US is piracy, pure & simple.
I congratulate my former counterpart, @BorisJohnson on becoming UK PM.
Iran does not seek confrontation. But we have 1500 miles of Persian Gulf coastline.These are our waters & we will protect them pic.twitter.com/svEqmEHQBM
This is from Norbert Röttgen, chairman of the foreign affairs committee in the German Bundestag.
What a historical coincidence: The day #BorisJohnson is elected, it becomes evident that experiencing an international crisis, the #UK, like any other small and middle power, depends on #European solidarity to defend its security interests internationally. #Brexit#Hormuz
This is from Leo Varadkar, the Irish taoiseach (prime minister).
Congratulations to @borisjohnson on his election as party leader. Look forward to an early engagement on #Brexit, Northern Ireland and bilateral relations
From my colleague Jessica Elgot
One cabinet return which is currently being strongly lobbied is Nicky Morgan. Thinking is that Johnson needs more women and more from the One Nation wing - Morgan backed Malthouse and ticks the boxes.
YouGov has published some polling showing what people think about having Boris Johnson as prime minister.
It suggests he is significantly less popular than Theresa May was when she became prime minister.
Firstly, while his own numbers aren’t good, his opponents’ are generally worse. The 31% who have a favourable view of Johnson is higher than the 27% who have a favourable view of Nigel Farage, the 9% who have a favourable view of Jo Swinson (because most people still haven’t heard of her) and the 18% who have a favourable view of Jeremy Corbyn.
In a head-to-head fight against the leader of the opposition over who would make the best prime minister, Boris leads Jeremy Corbyn by 34% to 20% (although they are both behind “not sure” on 42%).
This is from Nigel Farage, the Brexit party leader, on Boris Johnson.
I wish Boris Johnson well as prime minister with his ‘do or die’ pledge to deliver Brexit on October 31.
It is ‘do or die’ not just for Brexit, but for the future of the Conservative party too.
Moody’s, the credit rating agency, has issued a report today saying it thinks Boris Johnson’s ascent to become prime minister has made a no-deal Brexit more likely. Here is an extract from its news release.
Mr Johnson, who will replace Theresa May as prime minister this week, was a figurehead of the Vote Leave campaign in 2016 and has said he wants the UK to leave the EU by the deadline of 31 October 2019, regardless of whether the EU agrees to a revised deal.
Labour has sent an email to supporters about Boris Johnson. Here’s an excerpt.
Today, Boris Johnson became leader of the Conservatives. Tomorrow, he’ll be prime minister.
How did our country sink so low? Whether you think he’s a scruffy Etonian buffoon or a cold, calculating liar, what’s clear is his terrifying support of a damaging no-deal Brexit and his stunningly out-of-touch policy of tax cuts for the wealthy. We have to stop him.
In his campaign to become leader, Boris Johnson boasted he was the biggest defender of the bankers who crashed the economy.
He won’t look out for you, only himself and his super-rich friends.
Share the truth about our new Prime Minister.https://t.co/0HzbZyWKfd
Jeremy Corbyn has issued this statement about Boris Johnson’s election as Tory leader and next PM.
After almost a decade of austerity, we need a prime minister on the side of the many, not the few.
Boris Johnson has won the support of fewer than 100,000 unrepresentative Conservative party members by promising tax cuts for the richest, presenting himself as the bankers’ best friend, and pushing for a damaging no-deal Brexit.
Labour is holding a rally in Parliament Square on Thursday demanding a general election. This is from Andrew Fisher, Jeremy Corbyn’s policy adviser.
Fundamentally we need a general election. Join us in Parliament Square on Thu 25 Julyhttps://t.co/SqCFs0fbA5
Rory Stewart, the international development secretary, always said he could not serve in cabinet under Boris Johnson because of Johnson’s support for a no-deal Brexit. He has posted a tweet to confirm he will resign tomorrow.
Congratulations @BorisJohnson on becoming Leader. Honour to serve in turn as Minister of Environment @DefraGovUK, Mid East +Asia @DFID_UK, Africa @FCO, Prisons @MoJGovUK + then Development Secretary in Cabinet +NSC. Backbench tomorrow serving Cumbria. Thank you all. More walking! pic.twitter.com/2PVLTaGXXR
Here is my colleague Jessica Elgot’s take on Boris Johnson’s victory speech.
Related: Boris Johnson's victory speech: what he said and what he meant
Ivanka Trump’s original tweet congratulated Boris Johnson on becoming prime minister of the United Kingston. My colleague Patrick Wintour is disappointed.
Sadly, Ivanka Trump has deleted tweet congratulating Boris Johnson on becoming Prime Minister of the United Kingston. There was a fleeting hope that last few weeks had all been a misunderstanding & Johnson had been a candidate for a hitherto obscure municipal post in SW London.
Big day for Kingston pic.twitter.com/JmJ8PuTbtR
This is from Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the president of Turkey.
Birleşik Krallık'ın 77. Başbakanı olan @BorisJohnson'ı tebrik ediyor, kendisine yeni görevinde başarılar diliyorum.
Bu yeni dönemde Türkiye-Birleşik Krallık ilişkilerinin daha da gelişeceğine inanıyorum.
I congratulate @BorisJohnson, the UK’s 77th prime minister, and wish him success in his new role. I believe this develop further the Turkey-United Kingdom relations in the new era.
This is from Philip Hammond, who is going to resign as chancellor tomorrow because he does not want to serve under Boris Johnson. Hammond is in favour of a Brexit deal, but is strongly opposed to leaving the EU without one – a prospect Johnson is willing to contemplate.
Congratulations @BorisJohnson! You have said very clearly that you are determined to do a deal with Brussels - and you will have my wholehearted support in doing so. Good luck!
From the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg
Johnson and Hunt apparently had a long conversation in the green room behind the scenes at the announcement event, that’s why it was slightly delayed - did they manage to reach an accommodation? Keeping Hunt at FCO would be big signal to party that he values stability
Theresa May says she will give Boris Johnson her “full support” from the backbenches.
Many congratulations to @BorisJohnson on being elected leader of @Conservatives - we now need to work together to deliver a Brexit that works for the whole UK and to keep Jeremy Corbyn out of government. You will have my full support from the back benches.
From Ivanka Trump, the US president’s daughter
Congratulations @BorisJohnson on becoming the next Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
This is from Arlene Foster, the DUP leader.
Congratulations to @BorisJohnson on becoming Conservative Party Leader. Look forward to discussing our shared objectives of strengthening the Union, delivering Brexit & restoring devolution. pic.twitter.com/P8VV82UXAV
Boris Johnson will be the fifth prime minister since the second world war to have been educated at Eton College, the Press Association reports. The other four to attend the independent, fee-paying boarding school were David Cameron (prime minister from 2010-16), Alec Douglas-Home (1963-64), Harold Macmillan (1957-63) and Anthony Eden (1955-57). Like Boris Johnson, all of them were Conservative prime ministers.
It means one-third of the UK’s 15 prime ministers since 1945 are Old Etonians– the name given to former pupils of the college, PA reports. Three other postwar PMs attended independent schools: Clement Attlee (Haileybury), Winston Churchill (Harrow) and Tony Blair (Fettes). The rest, including the outgoing prime minister, Theresa May, attended grammar schools.
John McDonnell, the shadow chancellor, found Boris Johnson’s victory speech (see 12.48pm and 1.28pm) “embarrassingly underwhelming”.
This first Johnson speech is excruciatingly and embarrassingly underwhelming. It was a like an ill prepared after dinner speech at the local golf club.
From Ruth Davidson, the Scottish Conservative leader
Statement. Interview to follow. pic.twitter.com/d30QpKYfwb
A source close to Boris Johnson said cabinet appointments would not be made until Wednesday evening, the Press Association reports. He is expected to spend this afternoon finalising the top ministerial team and preparing his speech for Wednesday. Johnson will also address the 1922 Committee of Conservative MPs at 4pm today and visit CCHQ.
This is from Liz Saville Roberts, Plaid Cymru’s leader at Westminster.
The Conservative party has just thrown the UK out of the frying pan and into the fire.
During the most serious political crisis in decades, a clown is set to become prime minister. But this is no joke.
Here is the full text of Boris Johnson’s victory speech.
I want to begin by thanking my opponent, Jeremy, by common consent an absolutely formidable campaigner and a great leader and a great politician.
Jeremy, in the course of 20 hustings, more, 20 hustings or hustings-style events, it was more than 3,000 miles by the way, it was about 7,000 miles that we did criss-crossing the country, you’ve been friendly, you’ve been good natured, you’ve been a font of excellent ideas, all of which I intend to steal forthwith.
Jo Swinson, the new Lib Dem leader, says Boris Johnson is not fit to be PM.
Boris Johnson has shown time and time again that he isn’t fit to be the Prime Minister of our country.
Britain deserves better than Boris Johnson. https://t.co/ZkcEMzxJin#JoinJo
And here is Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, on Boris Johnson’s election.
We look forward to working constructively w/ PM @BorisJohnson when he takes office, to facilitate the ratification of the Withdrawal Agreement and achieve an orderly #Brexit. We are ready also to rework the agreed Declaration on a new partnership in line with #EUCO guidelines.
The European parliament’s Brexit steering group will hold a meeting tomorrow with Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, to discuss the implications of Boris Johnson’s election, Guy Verhofstadt, the parliament’s lead Brexit spokesman, says.
The @Europarl_EN’s Brexit Steering Group will hold an extraordinary meeting tomorrow with @michelBarnier to respond to @BorisJohnson's election. The meeting will be followed by an official communication. Looking forward to defending the interest of all Europeans. #Brexit
Tobias Ellwood, the defence minister who has been very critical of the idea of accepting a no-deal Brexit as an acceptable outcome, is not planning to resign, and has urged colleagues to support Boris Johnson. “It’s a duty of every MP to support the prime minister right now,” he told the Press Association.
Boris Johnson has tweeted this message following his election as Tory leader.
Thank you all for the incredible honour you have done me. The time for campaigning is over and the time for work begins to unite our country and party, deliver Brexit and defeat Corbyn. I will work flat out to repay your confidence
Congratulations @BorisJohnson 4 a campaign well https://t.co/b1rmrIHic6'll be a great PM for our country at this critical moment!Throughout campaign you showed optimism,energy & unbounded confidence in our wonderful country & we need that.All best wishes from the entrepreneur :-)
Scotland’s first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, says she has “profound concerns” about Boris Johnson’s election, and demands that he take the threat of a no-deal Brexit off the table immediately.
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 No 10 to someone with his views and track record.
Brexit of any kind would be deeply damaging to Scotland and the rest of the UK, but his public pledge to leave the EU by 31 October – ‘come what may’ and ‘do or die’ – flies in the face of logic, common sense or any basic regard for the wellbeing of the people and nations of the UK.
Theresa May has chaired her last cabinet, and from the sound of things it was a very much an end-of-term affair, focused on praising her record and then handing over parting gifts.
The meeting discussed funding for the NHS and how to tackle May’s much-mentioned “burning injustices”, such as access to mental health treatment, her spokesman said, and generally agreed that she had done a great job on housebuilding, employment and the economy.
Outside the Queen Elizabeth II centre in Westminster, about 100 pro-Brexit and pro-EU protesters were gathered alongside members of the press waiting for the future prime minister to emerge from the building.
Some campaigners shouted: “Bollocks to Brexit” and “You can shove your Brexit up Farage” while waving EU flags. Others were holding: “We voted leave” placards over the temporary barriers outside the centre.
President Trump has congratulated Boris Johnson.
Congratulations to Boris Johnson on becoming the new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He will be great!
Boris Johnson’s speech was very short, and probably a disappointment to anyone expecting some trademark Johnson jokes. It was also rather thin for someone who has spent the last four weeks certain almost beyond doubt that they would become the next prime minister. But Johnson will be giving a speech in Downing Street tomorrow, which will receive more attention, he is expected to make a statement to MPs on Thursday, and he is scheduled to give a major speech at the end of this week. Now was not really the time for a major statement of intent.
Still, in an extract buried in the middle of the speech, there were two clues as to where he intends to go. Here is key passage.
If you look at the history of the last 200 years of this party’s existence, you will see that it is we Conservatives who have had the best insights, I think, into human nature, and the best insights into how to manage the jostling sets of instincts in the human heart.
And time again it is to us that the people of this country have turned to get that balance right, between the instincts to own your own home, to earn and spend your own money, to look after your own family – good instincts, proper instincts, noble instincts – and the equally noble instinct to share and to give everyone a fair chance in life. And to look out to the poorest and the neediest, and to build a great society.
Boris Johnson received 66% of the vote, on an 87% turnout.
In percentage terms, that is better than Jeremy Corbyn achieved in the last Labour leadership election, in 2016, when he got 62% of the vote on a 78% turnout (although the electorate in that contest was much larger). It is also better than Jo Swinson achieved yesterday, when she was elected Lib Dem leader with 63% of the vote on a 72% turnout.
He says his three priorities – deliver, unite and defeat – form the acronym Dud. But that is to leave out the final plan: “energise”. So his acronym is Dude, he jokes.
He says he is now going to get on with the job.
Boris Johnson says the party has to reconcile two conflicting instincts again: the instinct to work with others, and the instinct for self-government.
He says in the Financial Times this morning someone said no incoming leader had ever faced such a daunting set of circumstances.
Boris Johnson says there will be people who question the wisdom of the decision to elect him.
No one person or party has a monopoly of wisdom, he says.
Boris Johnson is giving his victory speech.
He starts by saying Jeremy Hunt was a formidable opponent.
Boris Johnson won with 66% of the vote.
Boris Johnson wins with 66% of the vote
Gillan said there were 159,320 people eligible to vote.
Turnout was 87.4%.
Gillan is now announcing the results.
Boris Johnson: 92,153
Dame Cheryl Gillan is explaining the election process.
She also thanks party staff, and the party’s board. And she thanks the ERS for conducting a professional election. And she thanks the 1922 executive too.
Dame Cheryl Gillan and Charles Walker from the 1922 Committee come on stage to announce the results.
Walker thanks the party staff. He says he has a plea as a backbencher.
Can we be kinder to the next prime minister than we have been to the current prime minister?
Lewis invites Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt into the hall.
Lewis thanks Theresa May for her service. It is now paramount that they come together, he says.
He says the party will deliver best for the country when it is united.
Lewis says Tory members have undertaken a solemn duty in choosing the next leader.
They have engaged constructively and thoughtfully in the process. He says he thinks the party has risen to the task.
Brandon Lewis, the party chairman, is speaking now.
He says he is proud of the way the election has been conducted. The candidates have travelled the country and taken hundreds of questions.
Now we’ve got a clip from John Major – but not the statement about the dangers of a no-deal Brexit he made yesterday.
David Cameron and Theresa May have also been featured.
Now an extract from Margaret Thatcher’s final speech in the Commons.
At the QEII centre some audio is now being played. It is Winston Churchill, followed by Harold Macmillan (I think) talking about how great it is to be made prime minister.
Then Margaret Thatcher’s “You turn if you want to, the lady’s not for turning” soundbite.
The announcement seems imminent.
Here is Geoffrey Cox, the attorney general, checking his watch. As are many people. The event is running late.
From my colleague Daniel Boffey in Brussels
1st shot from EU at Boris. Frans Timmermans at a press conf in Brussels stands by claim that Boris "playing games" with Brexit. "I would just suggest that you look at what he has been writing over the years. He took a long time deciding whether he was for or against the EU".
Here is Jeremy Hunt and his wife Lucia arriving at the QEII centre a few minutes ago.
This is from Arlene Foster, the DUP leader.
In Enniskillen Constituency Office watching developments in London - awaiting the announcement of our new Prime Minister. #HistoricDayspic.twitter.com/dMyOcnpCAL
From BuzzFeed’s Matthew Champion
well, Boris Johnson's family look absolutely thrilled at what lies ahead pic.twitter.com/Z9z3ky6qrn
From the Mail on Sunday’s Harry Cole
As it stands I’m told that Mark Spencer will be the new Chief Whip under a Johnson administration and is intimately involved in reshuffle plans. Victory dependent obviously.
From the Daily Mirror’s Pippa Crerar
Here at Tory leadership announcement waiting for the inevitable. Question is how big Boris Johnson’s victory will be. If it’s big enough he’ll have authority to sack or demote critics and non-believers, starting with Jeremy Hunt. pic.twitter.com/3VlmPFvZ4x
In an extraordinary blogVytenis Andriukaitis, the European commissioner for health and food safety, who is from Lithuania, suggests that Boris Johnson and his fellow Brexiters are just as dishonest as Boris Yeltsin and other politicians were in post-Soviet Russia. Here’s an excerpt.
Almost ironically, without comparing the UK itself with the USSR because it is not comparable, I can’t think of a better golden standard than the USSR in terms of fact distortion, reality falsification and blunt oblivions of reality.
Then there were the heroes of the perestroika era swearing that they would create a market economy in post-Soviet Russia within 500 days! ‘500 Day Programme’ is history. Like the other the most unrealistic promises at the time, this never became a reality. People paid for these empty and broken promises with impoverishment, inequality and much more. The programme also left one infamous quote: ‘Boris, ti ne prav’ (‘Boris, you are wrong’)!
The cabinet bought Theresa May a handbag and some jewellery as a leaving present, the Times’ Steven Swinford reports.
The Cabinet bought Theresa May a handbag and some jewellery with the proceeds of their £1,500 whip round
The presents were organised by Michael Gove
From the Independent’s Andrew Woodcock
Gavin Williamson & Amber Rudd chatting with @BorisJohnson's dad Stanley as we await the #conservativeleadership result pic.twitter.com/Ei5SchGz3b
This is from my colleague Heather Stewart, who is at the QEII centre.
We’re being treated to a wholesome, all-smiling montage of photos of the Tory leadership campaign... pic.twitter.com/5l7lZIePCh
Here are some other senior Tories arriving at the QEII centre.
Boris Johnson is arriving at the QEII centre shortly.
Johnson arriving by car trying to stay away from camera scrum, expecting Hunt here any minute on foot
This is from Anna Soubry, the former Tory MP who now leads the Independent Group for Change.
Note to everyone. David Cameron beat David Davies with 68% of the vote. Don’t let anyone spin you some line that anything less is a success or a mandate. #BorisJohnson#BorisDay@ForChange_Now
Anne Milton has resigned as skills minister, saying she has “grave concerns” about the prospect of leaving the EU without a deal (something that Boris Johnson says ministers must accept as an option if they want to serve in his cabinet).
She also points out that she abstained last week (ie defying the government whip, which was to vote against) when MPs backed a move intended to stop Boris Johnson proroguing parliament to facilitate a no-deal Brexit.
Having abstained in the vote last week, today I have resigned from the Government. It has been an honour to serve on the Conservative frontbenches, my thanks to everyone I have had the pleasure of working alongside. pic.twitter.com/ELo1Y30YqC
Downing Street has just announced that the Labour MP John Mann has been appointed to the government as an independent adviser to the government on antisemitism. Mann, a Brexiter who has been critical of Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership of Labour, chairs the all-party parliamentary group against antisemitism. He will provide advice to the the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG).
Commenting on the appointment, Theresa May said:
Antisemitism is racism. It has absolutely no place in our society and we must fight its bitter scourge wherever it rears its head.
I’ve been proud to lead a government that is tackling such discrimination in all its forms – from making sure courts have the powers they need to deal with those who peddle hatred, to asking the Law Commission to undertake a full review of hate crime legislation. But there is yet more to do.
Sky’s Sam Coates has the timetable for the announcement.
This - from 1140 - is where the announcement event will take place
There will be a 2 min introductory video, 3 min Brandon Lewis remarks, Charles Walker introduction then Cheryl Gillan announces the result at 1147
Then a 10 min speech from the new leader
Buckle up! pic.twitter.com/t1TbxRiDQp
Good morning. I’m Andrew Sparrow, taking over Nadeem Badshah. Sorry not to be in earlier. I was held up at home.
Here is video of Boris Johnson’s brother Jo and father Stanley arriving at the QEII centre in Westminster for the announcement of the results of the Tory leadership contest.
Family Johnson - with senior Johnson advisor Will Walden - arrive pic.twitter.com/oikqSkPwYr
Related: Jo Swinson rules out Lib Dem pact with Labour under Jeremy Corbyn
Prevention was supposed to be one of the Health Secretary’s big three priorities. All we get is this utter disappointment. I kinda hope for his sake these desperate attempts at ingratiation with Boris Johnson is worth it in the end. https://t.co/yo8cQCHElo
Nigel Evans, the Conservative backbench MP, told the BBC:
The only thing that’s certain is that Larry the Cat is going to stay in place as the Downing Street cat.
Prime ministers come and go, Larry remains in place.
When asked if he believes Boris Johnson could be persuaded that a third runway should be built at Heathrow, the airport’s chief executive John Holland-Kaye told the PA news agency:
It’s actually a fait accompli now. The vote in parliament with nearly a four-to-one majority means this is now happening.
The judicial review process was a resounding success for the Department for Transport at the first stage, so this is now a reality and things have moved on.
There's a clear battle going on for Johnson's ear - between Brexit pragmatists who want a revised deal; and Brexit purists who want a bare bones Free Trade Agreement.
The new Conservative leader will be announced at the QEII centre in London at around 11:45am with campaigners for a People’s Vote protesting outside the venue in Westminster.
New Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson says her door is open to members of rival parties who want to join her and the prospect of a Boris Johnson-led Conservative Party pushing for a no-deal Brexit could increase the chances of a second referendum.
She said she was involved in talks with MPs from other parties, including the Conservatives, about defecting.
I am talking to people in different parties, including Conservatives.
There is a reason why thousands of people are joining the Liberal Democrats, when the Conservatives have gone off to the right and Labour have gone off to the left and people who want to see a better politics, a better alternative than the - frankly depressing - choice of Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn, they can join us because there is a better way.
This is a good point - will Labour MPs who wanted to see the referendum result respected look back and think they missed their opportunity to vote for the softest deal that had a chance of passing? (Hindsight is a wonderful thing...) https://t.co/CMLfWIUVUV
When asked if he would serve under Boris Johnson, international development secretary Rory Stewart replied: “No.”
Stewart is among the ministers who have arrived at Number 10 along with Matt Hancock, Jeremy Hunt, Liz Truss, Karen Bradley and Jeremy Wright for a cabinet meeting.
Thirteen written ministerial statements on the order paper today. Wonder what May’s Government is trying to sneak out today. pic.twitter.com/0gE1ejXDa7
Green MEP Philippe Lamberts, a member of the European Parliament’s Brexit steering group, said if Boris Johnson wins the Tory leadership race he “will be confronting the exact same situation as Theresa May”.
The Belgian MEP told the Today programme:
Boris Johnson is known to want many things and often contradictory things like having your cake and eating it, he is on record saying that.
So indeed he wants good relations with the European Union and he wants to be able to cut off all ties and not have the Irish backstop and all the rest of it.
Former defence secretary Sir Michael Fallon hasclaimed Boris Johnson’s optimism and fresh mandate would help shift Brussels towards a deal.
He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme:
Nobody is aiming for no-deal, that is not the strategy.
We want a better deal, parliament wants a better deal, and Boris Johnson has made clear throughout that he wants a better deal.
“It is more likely that I will be reincarnated as an olive, locked in a disused fridge, decapitated by a flying frisbee,” Boris Johnson in 2015 on his chances of becoming PM.
Four years on, and here we are. pic.twitter.com/ZSardCrUhA
Justice secretary David Gauke, who said on Sunday he would not serve in Cabinet under Boris Johnson, believes there were “parliamentary mechanisms” which could prevent a no-deal Brexit.
That would “not necessarily” involve bringing down a Johnson administration, he said.
I think that there will be parliamentary mechanisms, if you like.
There is a clear majority in the House of Commons that doesn’t want to leave the EU without a deal, I think that will become very clear in the autumn.
Are there circumstances where there is a risk of a government losing a confidence motion? Yes, clearly there are circumstances where there is a risk that that might happen.
I think that the new prime minister would be wise to avoid getting into those circumstances.
Here we go - momentous day ahead. Barring a major upset, we’ll soon see how all those cod-Churchillian, Land of Hope and Glory Telegraph columns translate into a manual for government. Over to you, Mr Johnson.
The outcome of the ballot of about 160,000 Tory members will be revealed at just before midday in London with the victor officially becoming prime minister on Wednesday.
Jeremy Hunt was in a positive mood when he arrived home from a run this morning despite Boris Johnson remaining the clear favourite to take over from Theresa May.
Moving away from the white smoke to confirm the next prime minister, Ruth Smeeth, parliamentary chairwoman of the Jewish Labour Movement, has called for a completely independent process for dealing with anti-Semitism cases in the party.
The MP told the Today programme:
The proposals that were sanctioned by the shadow cabinet and will be discussed today at the NEC just simply aren’t good enough.
There is still no independence, in fact arguably political power over anti-Semitism cases is going to be consolidated by political supporters of Jeremy Corbyn.
Boris Johnson entered his campaign headquarters in Westminster at around 8am.
Asked if he agreed with his rival Jeremy Hunt that it was still all to play for, he said: “All to play for.”
Good morning. There is a momentous day ahead with Boris Johnson expected to be announced as the choice of the Conservative party to be the next prime minister.
Theresa May is set to chair her final cabinet meeting as prime minister.
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