The appointment of Boris Johnson to be foreign secretary is undoubtedly a bold move.
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May came to power with a reputation for acting with careful calculation, but with her choice of the voluble, publicity-craving Johnson as Britain’s representative on the world stage, she appears to have thrown her customary caution to the winds.
Steinmeier told ZDF television Thursday evening: “Boris Johnson is a shrewd politician, experienced enough – he knows that he faces different tasks now”. The Russians were happy to say good riddance to Hammond and are welcoming change.
May also had a 15 minutes telephone conversation with U.S. President Barack Obama.
Gosling noted that Fox, as the former secretary of state for defense, had called for an attack on Iran in 2011.
The French foreign minister has already greeted his appointment by declaring that Johnson had told lies in that “Leave” campaign.
“And on Europe clearly we have to give effect to the will of people in the referendum, but that does not mean in any sense, leaving Europe”, he added.
“[He has] his back against the wall to defend his country but also with his back against the wall the relationship with Europe should be clear”.
But the United States is keen to preserve what remains of its vaunted “special relationship” with London, and Kerry was among the first foreign dignitaries to call Johnson. Johnson, who has a long and storied history of making outlandishly racist remarks about foreigners, has somehow been given the post of foreign secretary while veteran right-winger David Davis will be in charge of negotiating the Brexit with the EU.
In the same op-ed, Johnson justified his case for a British exit from the European Union.
May faced immediate pressure from European Union leaders to serve formal notice of Britain’s withdrawal and set the clock ticking on a two-year countdown to its final departure. Now I don’t know whether to laugh or cry.
Michael Gove has been fired as justice secretary.
Gove’s replacement, Justice Secretary Liz Truss, and the new Education Secretary Justine Greening both attended state schools – as did May.
Also on Thursday, Johnson tried to woo French people living in London with a speech at the French embassy for Bastille Day. George Osborne, whose career was inextricably linked with Cameron’s fortunes, has left government amid claims he was sacked.
It’s not always Johnson’s insults that raise eyebrows.
He was quoted as saying: “Boris Johnson is a crafty party politician who managed to use the euroskeptic mood for himself”.
Steinmeier said that “Britain remains an important partner” with which Germany must work at the U.N., NATO, in the Group of Seven and in efforts to end Syria’s civil war.
New British Prime Minister Theresa May is clearing rivals from government as she assembles her new Cabinet team.
“Boris Johnson, King of Brexit, has now been rewarded with the post of foreign secretary, having initially stuck his head in the sand after the vote”.
That was a foretaste of the potentially hostile reception he can expect when he attends his first European Union foreign ministers’ meeting in Brussels on Monday.
May, who discreetly backed the Remain campaign ahead of last month’s shock European Union referendum result, has said immigration controls would have to be included in any deal for Britain to access the EU’s single market.
During these talks, the British leader stressed her commitment to delivering Brexit but “explained that we would need some time to prepare for these negotiations and spoke of her hope that these could be conducted in a constructive and positive spirit”, a Downing Street spokeswoman said.
“As I leave for the last time, my only wish is for the continued success for this great country that I love so very much”, he concluded, before the traditional waves and posing for family photographs outside 10 Downing Street.
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Parliamentary co-leader of the German Green Party, Anton Hofreiter, questioned May’s capability, saying Johnson’s appointment was “a very bad signal” which “raises doubts over the new prime minister’s competency”.
