“The campaign is over and the work begins.”
There’s a new man in Number 10 Downing Street.
And his name is Boris Johnson.
Officially announced by Dame Cheryl Gillan on Tuesday afternoon shortly after midday, Boris Johnson has been named as the new UK Prime Minister.
He succeeds Theresa May, who stood down from her post this week having announced that she would be resigning at the end of May.
Gillan noted that there was an 87.4% turnout of 159,320 eligible votes in the Conservative leadership contest, the breakdown of which is as follows:
Boris Johnson: 92,153
Jeremy Hunt: 46,656
509 ballot papers were rejected in total.
“I know that there will be people around the place who will question the wisdom of your decision, and there may even be some people here not sure quite what they have done,” noted a buoyant Johnson in his brief acceptance speech.
“No one person or party has a monopoly of wisdom,” he added.
Later, Johnson underlined the mantra upon which he was brought to power:
“Deliver Brexit, unite the country and defeat Jeremy Corbyn – and that is what we’re going to do,” he declared, to a chorus of applause.
Finally, the new PM announced that the campaign was over and that the work will now commence as he pledges to ensure Brexit by the deadline of 31 October while also boosting the British economy and infrastructure during his time in charge.
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