“Following the referendum we face a time of great national change”.
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In a series of congratulatory phone calls taken by Mrs May on Wednesday evening, the UK’s second female prime minister spoke to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Francois Hollande and Irish Taoiseach Enda Kenny.
Johnson had been at the forefront of the so-called Leave campaign, but after its triumph abruptly pulled out of the contest to succeed Prime Minister David Cameron, who left office earlier Wednesday.
Like Mr Cameron, Mrs May campaigned to remain in the European Union but has said she will respect the will of the people, as expressed in 23 June’s referendum, saying: “Brexit means Brexit”.
Britain’s new Prime Minister Theresa May has named Former Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond as Chancellor of the Exchequer.
Prominent conservatives who campaigned to get Britain out of the European Union were given the task of seeing the job through, starting with former London Mayor Boris Johnson, who was named foreign secretary, in the day’s most surprising move.
Acknowledging the everyday difficulties faced by many Brits, May said her government will listen to common people.
Rudd, 52, a former British energy minister, will play a key role in the country’s approach to immigration, the issue which is widely believed to have swayed the European Union vote to “Leave”.
She arrived at the Palace by ministerial auto, having set off from the House of Commons only after receiving the signal that Mr Cameron’s resignation had been accepted by the Queen and that he had advised her to appoint Mrs May in his place.
Boris Johnson has been confirmed as foreign secretary and Amber Rudd has been appointed home secretary. “And we will make Britain a country that works not for a privileged few but for everyone of us”. “I will miss the barbs from the opposition”, Cameron said, promising to watch future exchanges as a regular Conservative lawmaker on the back benches.
Later in the afternoon he tendered his formal resignation to Queen Elizabeth II, who then had an audience with Theresa May, inviting her to form a new government.
May said last month that if she became Prime Minister, she would not invoke Article 50 this year, despite pressure from European Union leaders to do so swiftly.
She vowed to lead a government that worked for all, not just the “privileged few”, promising to give people who were “just managing” and “working around the clock” more control over their lives.
After the remarks, May stopped and waved outside No. 10 Downing Street beside her husband, Philip.
Cardinal Vincent Nichols of Westminster, president of the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, made his comments in a letter of congratulations to May, who took over as leader of the ruling Conservative Party July 13 after David Cameron formally resigned.
“We will do everything we can to help everyone to go as far as your talents will take you”, she asserted.
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The Daily Telegraph said in an editorial that Cameron “leaves behind a stronger country, a thriving economy and more chances to get on in life”.
