“When Theresa May steps behind the door to No 10 as prime minister for the first time this afternoon, she will have little time for ceremony before tackling the first tasks of her new office. Fresh from an audience with the Queen at Buckingham Palace, Mrs May is expected to deliver a speech from Downing Street laying out her vision for the country and the aims of her new government. Once she heads inside, she will be met in the entrance hall at Downing Street by the gathered ranks of secretaries and staff greeting her with a round of applause.” – The Times (£)
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“Speaking to The Telegraph, Mr Cameron says “it has been a privilege to serve the country I love” as he attempts to shift the focus of his legacy away from Brexit. He will address the Commons for the final time as Prime Minister where he will highlight his record as a reforming Conservative who introduced same-sex marriage and commitment to spending on foreign aid. He will then make a speech in Downing Street standing alongside his wife, Samantha, and their three children before leaving No 10 for the final time before heading to Buckingham Palace to formally resign. On Tuesday he chaired his final Cabinet meeting where Theresa May and George Osborne led tributes to an “astonishing” Prime Minister who has left the UK “in the “best place” for the future.” – Daily Telegraph
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“Curiously, even a week ago Osborne had declined to offer his support to any of the candidates. Yet he was one of the first to pledge his support to the winner – once she had won. The question on everyone’s lips now in Westminster is quite how Mrs May will respond to the Chancellor’s olive branch. As she races to finalise her Cabinet line-up, she is under pressure from a powerful cabal of senior Tories to offer Osborne a political lifeline. The discredited Chancellor, who masterminded the catastrophic and shameful Project Fear campaign to bully and frighten the nation into voting to Remain, is being tipped (or at least is tipping himself) for a dramatic reinvention at the heart of power. … Among many MPs there is disbelief that the Chancellor is still in post – never mind angling for a big new job.” – Isabel Oakeshott Daily Mail
…while general speculation continues, not least with tips for more women at the top
“Part of that yearning for a return to national sovereignty was the desire to take back control of our borders. By a decisive margin, the electorate decided that British immigration policy should be based on the democratic will of our own people, not the whim of an alien oligarchy bent on the creation of a German-led federal empire. As Brexit voters knew only too well, the EU’s addiction to free movement has meant not only the systematic erosion of our national identity but also a decline in living standards.” Leo McKinstry Daily Express
>Yesterday:
“Ballot papers were distributed, and Corbyn was allowed back in. He voted, standing up as he filled out his ballot paper, before leaving the room again. Lillis then read out the historic results: 18 votes in favour, 14 votes against. Jeremy Corbyn was automatically on the leadership election ballot. Union delegates cheered the announcement and banged their tables as it was read out. Leftwinger Pete Willsman couldn’t contain his excitement, one onlooker said. Corbyn was sent word of the news and he appeared at the doorway of the meeting room, walked in and was greeted with applause. He smiled that characteristically modest smile, before walking out again. Within seconds, a press release was drafted to avoid the news leaking out, Corbyn then headed down the lift and into the early summer evening to greet the waiting media with his triumph. Up on the 8th floor, there was one last twist. The NEC voted to freeze the membership eligibility for the contest to January 12, ruling out at a stroke more than 130,000 new members. A short window for ‘registered supporters’, who paid a fee of £25, would open between 18-20 July.” – Huffington Post
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