Boris Johnson succeeds Theresa May as UK's prime minister

LONDON – Former foreign secretary Boris Johnson succeeded Theresa May as Britain’s next prime minister after being elected leader of the Conservative party, defeating Jeremy Hunt in the party’s leadership contest.

The former mayor of London, who has long cherished an ambition to lead his country, won the contest by a convincing margin of 92,153 votes to 46,656, with 66% of the vote. Turnout was 87.4% among 159,320 party members.

Johnson, 55, took over from Theresa May on Wednesday and called on British Queen.

UK’s new Prime Minister stood outside 10 Downing Street, addressing the public for the first time as leader and made clear that bringing Britain together was his intention.

Johnson expressed that pessimists “at home and abroad” had created an impression that the UK had become a “prisoner” to the divisions Brexit created in 2016.

Regarding the contentious Brexit, Johnson said it would happen on October 31.

"No ifs, no buts," he clarified and reshuffled the cabinet as under:

Dominic Raab - appointed the new Foreign Secretary and the First Secretary of State, effectively making him Deputy Prime Minister.

Priti Patel - appointed the new British Home Secretary.

Sajid Javid - roped in as the Chancellor of the Exchequer meaning the new finance minister.

Stephen Barclay - appointed the Brexit Secretary, retaining the earlier role.

Ben Wallace - new Secretary of State for Defense.

Elizabeth Truss - appointed International Trade Secretary and President of the Board of Trade.

Earlier, in a characteristically flippant acceptance speech, Johnson conceded that even some of his own supporters may “wonder quite what they have done”.

https://twitter.com/BorisJohnson/status/1153629326811774976

Johnson promised in his victory speech he would "deliver Brexit, unite the country and defeat Jeremy Corbyn".

Speaking at the Queen Elizabeth II centre in London, he said: “We are going to get Brexit done on 31 October and take advantage of all the opportunities it will bring with a new spirit of can do.”

Theresa May decided to step down in May after failing to achieve consensus inside the parliament and within the Conservative Party over the country's withdrawal from the European Union.

The outgoing PM, who congratulated her successor, will face her final prime minister’s questions in the House of Commons before tendering her resignation to the Queen tomorrow (Wednesday).

Johnson will then go to Buckingham Palace himself for his appointment to be confirmed – before being driven to Downing Street to give a speech in front of the black door of No 10.