Boris Johnson news: New PM labelled ‘racist liar’ amid criticism at home, while Trump offers congratulations from US
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Your support makes all the difference.Boris Johnson has been confirmed as the next prime minister as the result of the Tory leadership contest is announced.
Anne Milton, an education minister, resigned minutes before the announcement, saying she had “grave concerns” over Mr Johnson’s threats of a no-deal Brexit.
Other ministers are expected to follow suit before the new prime minister takes over from Theresa May tomorrow.
The new Tory leader used his victory speech to promise he will “energise the country” and meet the 31 October Brexit deadline with a “new spirit of can-do”.
Mr Johnson secured more than two-thirds of the votes in the contest, comfortably defeating Jeremy Hunt, the foreign secretary..
In an apparent acknowledgement of his divisive style, Mr Johnson said: “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 who still wonder quite what they have done.
“I would just point out to you of course nobody, no one party, no one person has a monopoly of wisdom. But 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.”
Elsewhere, Labour’s ruling executive is due to meet for what will inevitably be a heated discussion on the party’s response to antisemitism.
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Speaking after the 1922 Committee meeting, health secretary Matt Hancock, a recent convert to the Boris Johnson camp, says the new leader's speech was "the sound of the Conservative Party reuniting".
He adds:
"He left everybody feeling good and positive and cheerful."
Donald Trump has said that Boris Johnson is “a Britain Trump” and suggested that Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage would be working with the new prime minister.
Speaking at a conference of the right-wing youth movement Turning Point, Mr Trump said:
“We have a really good man who’s going to be the prime minister of the UK now – Boris Johnson, a good man.
He is tough and he is smart. He is a Britain Trump.
They call him Britain Trump and people are saying that’s a good thing. They like me over there, that’s what they wanted, that’s what they need.
He will get it done, Boris is good, he is going to do a good job.”
Mr Trump pointed to Nigel Farage in the crowd and congratulated him on the Brexit party’s election success, adding:
“He did a great job and I know he is going to work well with Boris. They are going to so some tremendous things.”
The Democratic Unionist Party will demand more cash to continue propping up the Conservatives in power, Rob Merrick reports.
Asked how Mr Johnson will sort the Irish border issue, DUP MP Sammy Wilson said: "I think that the Irish border is sorted anyhow, because the problem along the border is an illusionary one."
Asked if he thinks people are needlessly worried, he said: "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.
"And we do that unobtrusively. We have to ensure animal welfare standards are met and animals have to be checked. We do that away from the border."
Mr Wilson said illegal trade is stopped by intelligence-led checks and stopping vehicles along country roads.
"The mechanism for dealing with all of the things that need to be dealt with unobtrusively is already there," he said.
Labour's ruling body has accepted Jeremy Corbyn's plans for speeding up the way serious complaints of antisemitism are dealt with.
The National Executive Committee (NEC), meeting in London, agreed to endorse the proposal to allow fast-track expulsions in the most serious cases, a party spokesman said.
It is understood that the agreement came after a motion calling for a fully independent process for dealing with such cases was withdrawn.
There had been criticism of Mr Corbyn's plan because of the proposed involvement of general secretary Jennie Formby who has been accused of interfering in complaints of antisemitism.
The spokesman said the proposal would be further developed to enable the NEC to finalise a "fair and legally robust" rule change that can be put to the party's annual conference in September.
"The vast majority of Labour members are motivated by equality, justice and fairness, and despise antisemitism," the spokesman said.
"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."
Earlier, the parliamentary chairwoman of the Jewish Labour Movement, Ruth Smeeth, warned any new process to deal with antisemitism needed to be independent of the leadership if it was to command confidence.
"There is still no independence, in fact arguably political power over antisemitism cases is going to be consolidated by political supporters of Jeremy Corbyn," the MP told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
"I think we need a completely independent process that could restore faith for everybody."
Reacting to Donald Trump describing Mr Johnson as "Britain Trump", Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson tweeted: "I mean, Boris Johnson is basically what you'd get if you sent Donald Trump to Eton."
Hundreds of people are protesting in Glasgow against the appointment of Mr Johnson as Conservative party leader.
An event organised by pro-independence group All Under One Banner (AUOB) drew in crowds on Tuesday evening, with many carrying Saltire flags and handwritten signs reading: "Boris No! Independence Yes!"
Several speakers addressed those gathered and criticised Mr Johnson, who will take over from Theresa May as prime minister on Wednesday.
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