begin quote from:
Theresa May becomes new British Prime Minister
CNN | - |
If
you're in North America, go here to watch a live stream of our coverage
of David Cameron's last day on CNNgo. (CNN) [Breaking news update
posted at 12:53 p.m.
Theresa May becomes new British Prime Minister
Story highlights
- Theresa May names Philip Hammond the chancellor of the Exchequer
- May faces daunting task as she negotiates UK "Brexit" from the European Union
If you're in North America, go here to watch a live stream of our coverage of Theresa May's first day on CNNgo.
(CNN)[Breaking news update posted at 2:55 p.m. ET]
In
her second Cabinet appointment of the day, newly named British Prime
Minister Theresa May tapped Boris Johnson as foreign secretary,
according to a statement from 10 Downing Street. Johnson, a member of
Parliament and the former London mayor, was one of the leaders of the
campaign to leave the European Union.
[Original story published at 2:49 p.m. ET]
Theresa
May struck a populist tone in her first public remarks as British Prime
Minister on Wednesday, saying she planned to continue predecessor David
Cameron's "true legacy" of social justice.
The
Conservative Party leader spoke directly to the poor, black and white
working-class residents as well as women, youth and those with mental
health issues, saying, "The government I lead will be driven not by the
interests of a privileged few, but by yours."
Her
party prizes unionism, she said, and not just among England, Wales,
Scotland and Northern Ireland, "but between all of our citizens,
everyone, whoever we are and wherever we're from."
"David Cameron has led a one-nation government, and it is in that spirit that I also plan to lead," she said.
In
his final appearance in Parliament as Prime Minister, Cameron opened
with the quip that "apart from one meeting in the afternoon with the
Queen, my diary is remarkably light."
Before
resigning, Cameron delivered remarks outside 10 Downing Street, saying,
"It's not been an easy journey, and of course we've not got every
decision right, but I do believe that today our country is much
stronger."
He wished May the best,
especially as she negotiates the country's "Brexit" from the European
Union. If he were granted one wish, he said, it would be the "continued
success of this great country that I love so very much."
Leaving on light note
Earlier
Wednesday, Cameron appeared to be in a jovial mood as he told members
of Parliament: "I have addressed 5,500 questions from this dispatch box
-- I'll leave it to others to decide how many I've answered."
He held up a photo of himself with Larry the Downing Street cat, saying he loved the "chief mouser" and was sad to be leaving him behind.
On a more serious note,
Cameron said he cared passionately about the UK, adding that "we need to
make sure as we leave the EU, how we keep the benefits of the common
travel area."
Gesturing across the
room and up to his wife, Samantha, watching from the gallery, he said:
"I will miss the roar of the crowd, I will miss the barbs from the
opposition, but I will be willing you on.
"Nothing is really impossible if you put your mind to it. After all, as I once said, I was the future once."
How did we get here?
Cameron announced his resignation last month, following the UK's shock referendum result to leave the EU.
May
-- the former home secretary who became Conservative leader Monday
after her sole contender for the job, Andrea Leadsom, dropped out of the
race -- is Britain's second female prime minister after Margaret
Thatcher, who held office from 1979 to 1990.
The
last few weeks have been dramatic ones in British politics, with Brexit
setting off a domino effect of politicians falling by the wayside -- Cameron resigned, allies stabbed likely successor Boris Johnson "in the back," and leadership contender Leadsom threw in the towel amid controversial motherhood comments.
May
has a daunting job as prime minister, facing pressure from the EU to
start Brexit negotiations, salvage a plummeting economy and unite a
divided nation.
What lies ahead for May?
May will need to form a Cabinet -- speculated to include many female ministers and a designated Brexit minister.
She
took the first step in that process shortly after assuming the mantle.
She named ex-Foreign Minister Philip Hammond the chancellor of the
Exchequer, a position that oversees the British Treasury, according to a
statement from 10 Downing Street.
Hammond
replaces George Osborne, who has resigned from the government. More
ministerial appointments will be announced Wednesday evening.
She
is also expected to meet Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon in the
coming days, with Sturgeon telling a press conference Wednesday that
Brexit "does not apply to Scotland, as Scotland voted differently in the
referendum."
Scotland bucked the national trend for the referendum, with 62% voting to remain.
Along
with overseeing EU negotiations, May will need to unite a nation deeply
divided over the referendum where 52% voted to leave and 48% to remain.
Not
to mention a Conservative Party whose infighting over Europe prompted
Cameron to call a referendum in the first place -- much to his
spectacular downfall.
No comments:
Post a Comment