After just two weeks in the political wilderness, Boris Johnson is back.
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But her decision to put Johnson on the world stage dealing with foreign leaders is raising questions, largely because of Johnson’s propensity for saying exactly wrong thing at the wrong time, sometimes in the most provocative way.
“This is something frankly that goes beyond a relationship, that goes beyond personalities and it is an absolutely critical moment in certainly England’s history, but also in the U.S.-U.K. relationship”.
The Ugandan government’s spokesperson responded to an article suggesting Uganda would be better off as a colony, saying: “We would be more concerned if the United States or Russian Federation appointed someone like Boris Johnson”.
“I don’t have any doubt about Boris Johnson”, Jean-Marc Ayrault said during an interview with French radio Europe 1.
So eyebrows were raised when Britain’s new prime minister, Theresa May, named Johnson as foreign secretary in her Cabinet on Wednesday.
“The appointment of the new foreign secretary must be the most remarkable since the Emperor Caligula appointed his horse as a senator”.
Johnson campaigned successfully for Britons to vote to leave the European Union last month.
Conservative lawmaker David Davis took the newly formed job of minister in charge of negotiations with the European Union that will set up the conditions for leaving.
The ensuing row dominated the first day of Obama’s visit to London where he pushed for Britain to remain in Europe.
On Thursday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said he hoped Mr Johnson’s appointment would signal a new start for UK-Russia ties.
After six years as Cameron’s interior minister, she was viewed as a safe pair of hands to replace him, but began with a ruthless cull of some of her former cabinet colleagues.
Incoming British foreign secretary Boris Johnson will be a constructive partner with Australia, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop says.
But completely different political tasks now stand at the forefront, he told Bild am Sonntag newspaper.
“We will intensify the cooperation and partnership at an inter-governmental level, and forge a new global role”, he said.
Hours before Johnson’s appointment was made public on Wednesday, Steinmeier lashed out at him without using his name, criticizing an “irresponsible politician” who lured Britain toward Brexit, then “didn’t take responsibility, and instead played cricket”.
Svenska Dagbladet, DN’s more conservative rival, also played down the Thatcher comparisons, arguing that Mrs May would be a “harsh but fair leader – but no new Iron Lady”.
She removed long-serving finance minister George Osborne and Brexit campaigner and justice secretary Michael Gove – and stunned onlookers by giving Johnson the diplomatic brief.
A host of junior ministers now wait to find out their future in the new government in the coming days.
Hammond said during Brexit negotiations with the European Union he will push for British access to the European market for London’s financial services.
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Former Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond won’t be missed, a spokeswoman said. It reported his appointment as “an astonishing comeback” after he bowed out of the race to become prime minister. “That should probably tell us all we need to know”.
