“Boris Johnson carried out the biggest Cabinet cull in almost 60 years on Wednesday as he promoted Brexit loyalists to help him get Britain out of the EU on October 31, “no ifs or buts”. The new Prime Minister, who had recently said his favourite film moment was the “retribution scene” in The Godfather, staged his own political massacre as 17 ministers either resigned or were sacked. Among those fired in a breathtakingly swift transition were Jeremy Hunt, who was shown the door after refusing a demotion, and nine ministers who had supported the outgoing foreign secretary in the leadership race. In their place, Mr Johnson packed the Cabinet with loyalists and Brexiteers…” – Daily Telegraph
Analysis:
>Today: ToryDiary: Johnson’s shuffle. If one asks for decisiveness – for an end to drift – don’t complain when it’s delivered.
>Yesterday: MPs Etc.: Johnson’s reshuffle. Live Blog. Seven of his leadership rivals get jobs. Rees-Mogg in as Leader of the House.
“Boris Johnson entered Downing Street on Wednesday and embarked on a remarkable bout of political bloodletting, as he created a hardcore team of Brexiters determined to take Britain out of the EU on October 31 and primed for an early election. Mr Johnson ripped apart Theresa May’s former cabinet – 15 senior ministers were sacked or resigned before they were axed – as he declared war on “the doubters, the doomsters, the gloomsters”. Standing on the steps of Downing Street he said “no ifs or buts” Britain would leave the EU in 99 days’ time and carried out a cabinet clear-out that made Harold Macmillan’s 1962 “Night of the Long Knives” seem modest by comparison. In a defiant and brutal speech outside Number 10, Mr Johnson did not even mention Mrs May by name, but lambasted her for her indecision.” – FT
More:
>Today: MPs Etc.: ConHome’s Ministerial recommendations: how did we do and what did we learn?
>Yesterday: Chris White in Comment: What will the new Prime Minister’s Parliamentary options be on Brexit?
“Every political aide across the government will report to Dominic Cummings, the mastermind of the Vote Leave campaign, after he was appointed one of Boris Johnson’s most senior Downing Street advisers. The man who, perhaps even more than Mr Johnson himself, was responsible for persuading Britain to vote to leave the European Union has been brought in to spearhead the new prime minister’s pledge to deliver Brexit “do or die” in less than a hundred days. In a move that is eye-catching and controversial, Mr Cummings, who devised the infamous Vote Leave NHS funding pledge, will help to form and enforce Mr Johnson’s Brexit strategy and has successfully demanded all political aides across government report to him.” – The Times
Comment:
>Yesterday:
“If Boris can’t get Brexit done, then he’ll be done. So what’s the plan? Well, it is to seek a deal while preparing for No Deal. Boris has long regarded a genuine threat to walk away without a deal as being a bit like the Trident nuclear deterrent: Because you have it, you don’t have to use it. But as one of those involved in devising this approach tells me, for it to work, “both elements of the strategy have to be credible”. In other words, both the No Deal preparation and the proposed deal must be realistic. This is where his key Brexit lieutenants Dominic Cummings and David Frost come in. They might be backroom appointments but they are as – if not more – important to the success of Boris’s premiership as the Cabinet appointments he has made.” – The Sun
Brexit:
Editorial:
>Today: Andrew Sharpe and Pamela Hall in Comment: Now is the time to back our new leader and unite our party
“Boris Johnson has just made what may be one of the most important decisions of his premiership: replacing Philip Hammond as Chancellor of the Exchequer with Sajid Javid. The expectation is that this will mark an important change of tone from Number 11 – and not just on Brexit policy. Johnson has promised to “to energise the country”. His list of priorities includes “better education, better infrastructure, more police, fantastic full-fibre broadband sprouting in every household – we are going to unite this amazing country and we are going to take it forward”. That indicates he wants bold new ideas across all departments – and given bold ideas are often expensive that means big demands on the Treasury. Balancing the books will be difficult.” – Daily Telegraph
Comment:
>Today: MPs Etc.: Full list of Cabinet appointments
“The ambitious ex-lawyer, 45, was rewarded with the appointment after coming sixth in the Tory leadership contest. He inherits a £1.2 billion annual budget and a network of 14,000 employees in addition to a bulging in-tray. The Iran crisis and the Trump administration will demand his immediate attention, alongside building relationships with his European counterparts in the lead up to the Brexit deadline, which is 98 days away. It marks a major promotion for the MP and senior Vote Leave campaigner, who has only four months’ experience in the cabinet.” – The Times
Comment:
“Priti Patel, who once supported the death penalty, has been given as home secretary the key task of restoring the Conservatives’ reputation as the party of law and order. Her return to government is a stunning comeback for the hardcore Brexiteer and prominent member of the Vote Leave campaign. She had been a rising star of Theresa May’s government, but resigned as international development secretary two years ago over unauthorised contacts with Israeli government officials while she was on holiday. She was accused of running her own foreign policy in the Middle East. Yesterday several Conservative MPs lobbied Mark Spencer, the new chief whip, against appointing her.” – The Times
Comment:
“Scotland’s first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, has written to Boris Johnson to tell him that she is “looking forward” to discussing with him her proposals for a second independence referendum… She writes: “Given your public comments about leaving the EU on October 31 with or without a deal, “come what may” and “do or die” , it is now – more than ever – essential that in Scotland we have an alternative option”… Johnson refused to rule out blocking a second referendum on Scottish independence, even if the SNP won a mandate for one at the next Holyrood elections, when he visited Scotland during the Conservative leadership campaign, maintaining that “we should stick to that promise” that the 2014 vote was decisive for a generation.” – The Guardian
“Theresa May warned Boris Johnson of the “heavy responsibilities” of office as she left Downing Street for the final time as prime minister. In her last speech outside No 10 before she left for Buckingham Palace to resign, Mrs May, 62, said that the role was the “greatest honour” and pledged to continue to serve in the national interest from the back benches. Mrs May, with her husband, Philip, standing next to her, also told Mr Johnson in a pointed message that his immediate priority should be to secure a Brexit that worked for the whole of the United Kingdom. Friends said that she would stay in parliament and focus on her constituency of Maidenhead and issues close to her heart, such as mental health, despite job offers “coming out of her ears”.” – The Times
Comment:
>Yesterday: Video: WATCH: May’s farewell: “To serve as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom is the greatest honour.”
“Jeremy Corbyn has ruled out bringing a confidence vote in Boris Johnson’s Government until at least September. It comes as “a minimum of 40” Tory MPs are braced to rebel against the government to block a no deal Brexit after Remain-backing ministers quit before Mr Johnson entered Downing Street. However the Opposition leader said he will only table a confidence vote when he think it will be “successful”, effectively ruling it out until Parliament returns after summer recess. Mr Corbyn said: “Conservative and DUP MPs need to recognise this is a Government that barely has an arithmetic majority in Parliament and certainly doesn’t have the confidence of the people of this country.”” – Daily Telegraph
Liberal Democrats:
“Jail sentences for anyone caught leaking Government secrets should be made more “severe”, MPs demand today. In a report, the Foreign Affairs committee wants the maximum term for breaching the Official Secrets Act increased from two years. Rogue officials should also face extra sanctions such as being stripped of their pensions and being hit with the costs of mole-hunt investigations, the report says. Chairman Tom Tugendhat said: “Confidentiality is at the heart of our diplomacy. The effective functioning of Government depends on it. Leaks are corrosive and undermine the work of the FCO, the civil service and the wider Government at home and abroad.”” – The Sun