Face of Nation : Speaking to MPs, Mr Johnson said his government would throw itself into Brexit negotiations with energy, while Michael Gove would lead on no-deal planning as a “top priority”.
He also said EU citizens living in the UK would have their rights protected. But Downing Street was unable to confirm if there would be any new laws to underpin the commitment.
Tory MP Alberto Costa – who has campaigned for EU citizens’ rights after Brexit – welcomed Mr Johnson’s pledge, but said “the devil, as ever, is in the detail” and he would be “scrutinising how that guarantee comes forward”. Replying to his statement in the Commons, Jeremy Corbyn said people “do not trust” the new PM to deliver on his promises.
And Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has written to Mr Johnson to say it is “essential” her country has an alternative option to his Brexit plan. The statement came after the first meeting of Mr Johnson’s new cabinet, who he said had all committed to leaving the EU on or before 31 October, “no ifs, no buts”.
New secretaries of state include former leadership contender Sajid Javid as chancellor, and leading Brexiteers, with Dominic Raab as foreign secretary and Priti Patel as home secretary.
More junior ministers are expected to be announced later, with further reshuffling on Friday. Mr Johnson has also held his first calls with other foreign leaders – including Dutch PM Mark Rutte and Australian PM Scott Morrison – and is due to speak to the European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker later.
After a raft of resignations, sackings and appointments on Wednesday night, Mr Johnson addressed his cabinet for the first time as prime minister early on Thursday. He told the cabinet they had “a momentous task ahead”, as he repeated his commitment for the UK to leave the EU on 31 October – calling it “a pivotal moment in our country’s history”.
He said the new team respected the “depth and breadth of talent in our extraordinary party”, who were “not going to wait until 31 October to get on with a fantastic new agenda for our country… delivering the priorities of the people”.
The appointments have already faced criticism from the opposition, with the chair of the Labour Party, Ian Lavery, calling it “a cabinet of hard-line conservatives who will only represent the privileged few”.
He comments were echoed by independent MP Nick Boles – who resigned the Conservative whip over Brexit – saying the “few elements remaining of the liberal one-nation Conservative style are neutered captives in this cabinet”. But the new Leader of the House, Mr Rees-Mogg, who led the pro-Brexit Tory European Research Group (ERG), denied there had been a “Leave” takeover of the cabinet.
“Boris is bringing the country together, the party together, through his cabinet appointments,” he said. The newly appointed Lib Dem leader, Jo Swinson, has tabled an early day motion expressing a lack of confidence in the prime minister – although such motions are rarely debated and generally used to draw attention to an issue.
