New Prime Minister Theresa May, who took office on Wednesday with a mandate to take Britain out of the European Union, has announced the senior members of her cabinet.
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May will be Britain’s second female Prime Minister after Margaret Thatcher, who held office from 1979 to 1990. The former London mayor headed the campaign for the United Kingdom to leave the European Union.
Theresa May promised to fight “burning injustice” in British society, govern for the poor and marginalised, and create a union “between all of our citizens” in her first remarks as the UK’s prime minister.
May has indicated however that she will not be rushed into triggering the formal procedure for Brexit.
She is expected to announce her Cabinet early today (Singapore time), including a Brexit minister in charge of leading negotiations with the European Union on a new relationship.
However the mood in the House was uncharacteristically jovial.
Speaking in the packed parliament, with lawmakers, media, aides and spectators jammed into every corner of the ornate debating chamber, Cameron answered questions with the air of a man looking forward to an afternoon off.
“This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others”, he said.
At some point during the final meeting Mr Cameron’s family was introduced to the Queen, who earlier in the day toured the new air ambulance base at Cambridge airport where her grandson the Duke of Cambridge works.
“We’ve both been having these leadership elections”. We (Conservatives) got on with it: we’ve had resignation, nomination, competition and coronation.
Even the usually earnest Corbyn came with his own pre- prepared gags to the box-office weekly “Prime Minister’s Questions” session.
“It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve our country as prime minister over these last six years, and to serve as leader of my party for nearly 11 years”, he said outside 10 Downing St., accompanied by his wife Samantha and his children – 12-year-old Nancy, 10-year-old Elwen and 5-year-old Florence.
He also held up a photograph of himself with Larry the Downing Street cat, adding that sadly he wouldn’t be taking the “chief mouser” with him when he moved out.
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”.
The former Conservative interior minister, 59, said after being appointed by Queen Elizabeth that she would champion social justice and carve out a bright new future for Britain after last month’s shock referendum vote to quit the EU.
“I think around the cabinet table yesterday the feeling was that we have our Angela Merkel”, said Jeremy Hunt, health secretary in Cameron’s team which met for the last time on Tuesday.
11 years ago, then the newly elected Conservative opposition leader, he taunted embattled Labour prime minister Tony Blair: “I want to talk about the future. He was the future once”.
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That vision of change launched Cameron on his way to becoming prime minister in 2010 – the youngest in 200 years. “As we leave the European Union we will forge a bold new positive role for ourselves in the world, and we will make Britain a country that works not for a privileged few, but for every one of us”, she said outside 10 Downing Street, vacated hours earlier by David Cameron.
