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Boris Johnson chosen as Britain's next prime minister; now faces Brexit test

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By JILL LAWLESS and DANICA KIRKA

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Great, just what the world needs, another trump. Just like W had Blair, trump got his Boris. Things are going to get a little crazy in the Persian Gulf when like minded boors get together.

8 ( +16 / -8 )

Looks like the U.K. wanted it's own Donny. Yikes.

7 ( +16 / -9 )

Looks like the U.K. wanted it's own Donny. Yikes.

About two-thirds of 0.2% of rightwing geriatrics wanted this disgrace.

The vast majority of the country didn’t want him.

16 ( +22 / -6 )

About two-thirds of 0.2% of rightwing geriatrics wanted this disgrace. 

The vast majority of the country didn’t want him.

Fair enough. Too bad you got him, just like it's too bad that 3 million more Americans didn't want Donny, but we got him.

9 ( +15 / -6 )

Trump here and now that clown there?

Russia must be so happy. I thought the brits were smarter than us. The world is literally coming apart.

10 ( +16 / -6 )

I can already see how the EU-Boris meeting will go:

Boris: You're gonna give us what we want, and you're gonna do it now! Because we are British. We are superior, and you need us more than we need you! ok?

EU: Please, go away.

Boris: More proof that EU hates us! They are anti-British!

Tabloids: EU declares war on BRITANNIA!.

More tabloids: EU despises BRITANNIA!

I am actually glad someone from the people who advocated for Brexit is in charge now. They were the first one to abandon the ship like rats 2 years ago. Now that Boris is in charge, hopefully he will take responsibility for what he himself started and advocated for, although i am skeptical. If things go wrong, they will probably blame Poland.. Germany.. France. Aliens.. anybody but themselves, and with the help from their tabloids, the people will eat it all up.

I tried looking for his economic views yesterday, but i couldn't find anything. All i found was one recent article on FT that says Boris is for low taxes, but other articles point out his constant flip flops, and his lack of principled position. Apparently he is also an elitist (not surprisingly for an English politician), as he have said before that, quote: "elitism is good. Without Elitist, we would still be living in caves". Strange statement, given that his entire Brexit campaign was about not listening to the elites. He seems to be an opportunist hypocrite and a populist who just wants be in charge.

Given that he also accused the EU of bringing down wages, which is not true, both factually and on principle, and i also remember few years ago when he was the mayor of London, he aggressively pushed for the so called "silicon roundabout", which is the pathetic London version of the Silicon Valley, with a lot of intervention from the City government, this tells me he is not a real economic conservative. He claims he is a small government guy, but his actions speak otherwise. Small government guys don't help businesses, they let them be. And if he believes EU is suppressing wages, then he doesn't understand supply and demand, and it means he is in favor of labor regulations, again, not something a small government guy would do.

Either way, what will happen to England after leaving the EU will depend entirely on their own policies. Cutting taxes will be good for them, but if he puts labor restrictions, that's not going to help their economy. He also seems to be protectionist, again, not a good policy.

-5 ( +8 / -13 )

It's now official : the UK is the EU's drunk cousin.

Congratulations !

7 ( +11 / -4 )

Well, he's certainly not the best, but at least he's not that creepy, Trump-loving Nigel Farage.

I hope our good friends in the UK fare better than us - we've had to go thru hell for the past two years...

-2 ( +5 / -7 )

Seriously, what is going on lately, all the weird people are become PM's and presidents. What happened to all the good people?

11 ( +14 / -3 )

Either way, what will happen to England after leaving the EU will depend entirely on their own policies.

The UK is leaving the EU, of which England is a part of.

I am actually glad someone from the people who advocated for Brexit is in charge now.

Actually, Johnson wasn't always an EU hater

In 2003 he told the House of Commons that: "I am not by any means an ultra-Eurosceptic. In some ways, I am a bit of a fan of the European Union. If we did not have one, we would invent something like it.                                    

https://www.businessinsider.com/boris-johnson-single-market-brexit-campaign-customs-union-2018-1

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Too bad you got him, just like it's too bad that 3 million more Americans didn't want Donny, but we got him.

Fortunately, there is no Electoral College to gerrymander another 4-8 years for boastful Boris who has only become PM by default thanks to the self-deluded Tory membership who voted him party leader. He inherits a revolting dog's dinner of a political agenda that he must get down asap, but the shambolic old Etonian is so full of himself that he believes his own BS, his unique ability to deliver Brexit willy-nilly. Reality, however, will soon burst his balloon when the general election he needs to break through the Brexit impasse hands him his Trump-sized posterior (from the Latin). Labour will then be tasked with the unenviable mandate of cleaning up the stinking Augean stables of the UK blighted by decades of right-wing Blairite and Tory corruption and misrule.

4 ( +7 / -3 )

Interesting polling:

On how you would vote if Boris Johnson is PM, and a General Election is held before the 31st of October, and Brexit has not been delivered:

Labour 28%

Brexit Party 22%

Conservatives 18%

LibDems 18%

(ComRes)

Looking at a Brexit-Tory coalition. However, if Boris is booted out from the position as leader and replaced by a remainer, the Brexit party could take even more of the Tory share of the vote.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

The President of the USA thinks "Britain Trump" means something.

Yeah, I read that. It means nothing - nobody in the UK is saying that. Some might call him the British Trump in a scathing fashion but he's hated there. PotUS, that is.

It's true that some people like Johnson's bumbling persona but if you talk to them, they seem to ignore his favoring the rich in tax cuts and his many u-turns and hitching his wagon to whatever way the wind is blowing. Mixed metaphors aside, he's bad news for the UK. And possibly Ireland as well.

6 ( +8 / -2 )

Labour 28% 

Brexit Party 22% 

Conservatives 18% 

LibDems 18%

(ComRes)

Looking at a Brexit-Tory coalition

Eh? Surely the party with the most votes gets the right to form a government. Lab/Lib looks like a more realistic option.

Do you reckon Farage will come up with some policies? Smoking ciggies in pubs again? No pot, mind you. Send the potheads to his penal colony on the Falklands.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

Johnson wasn't always an EU hater

In 2003 he told the House of Commons that: "I am not by any means an ultra-Eurosceptic. In some ways, I am a bit of a fan of the European Union. If we did not have one, we would invent something like it.      

Hmm, there's a condrum. By the Brexiter's logic, no one is ever allowed to, nor ever does, change their mind on something. So doesn't this mean Boris is pro-EU and anti-Brexit?

1 ( +3 / -2 )

That's great. Best way to vote for someone in my opinion.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

Putin got Trump in America, and now he has Boris in Britain. He must be thrilled.

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

Congrats Great Britain!

Boris is nowhere near as good as Trump, but he's decent enough. Farage would have been much better. Everything is just media hysteria these days, honestly. Remember when at the start of the campaign they tried to discredit Trump as a "clown". That worked out well for them, right?

-8 ( +2 / -10 )

looks like he needs a shower who is he?

0 ( +2 / -2 )

We'll have many more bad hair days.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Congrats Great Britain!

Unfortunately, he's PM of the UK, not just the island of Great Britain.

Boris is nowhere near as good as Trump, but he's decent enough.

He's a liar, a racist, and once conspired to have someone beaten up. He's ready to sacrifice the peace process for the sake of his ambition. How is this decent?

Farage would have been much better. 

Why? What policies of his do you agree with, in particular?

5 ( +6 / -1 )

1glenn:

Putin got Trump in America, and now he has Boris in Britain. He must be thrilled

Assuming that no recreational drink was involved when writing this, can you explain how in your mind Putin got both Trump and Boris in power? I mean, I am watching CNN (100% TDS 100% of the time) for entertainment, but even they do not make such blatant claims.

-4 ( +2 / -6 )

Farage would have been much better. 

Why? What policies of his do you agree with, in particular?

It’s a difficult question if policies matter to you.

If they don’t, I suppose you can base your opinion of him on what Trump thinks. It’s easy when your mind works that way. A bit one-dimensional but hey, life’s short.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

His acceptance speech was sharp, witty, confident, upbeat and totally lacking the usual virtue signaling tripe that we have had to endure from what the left has become in recent years. Let’s just say I don’t think CNN will be replaying it any time soon.

The cynics can go ahead with the name calling , talks of depression and try and out-cynic each other. Do as ye do. yawn

Who knows, he may even have the mettle to tackle the real issues that no one has the balls to touch and may even be able to make the difficult decisions to get the UK recharged and rebooted again. Stranger things happen. Take the mike away from the doom and gloomers for a while and have a run at it Boris. History will be the final judge.

Lets see what he does, before going the usual character assassination shall we? Like true ladies and gentleman innit.

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

First Trump, and now Johnson. This reinforces my feeling that the world order is collapsing and WWIIi is around the corner. I hope isolated island Japan can escape this.

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

Ivanka Trump tweeted out congratulations to Boris Johnson, the new PM of the "United Kingston".

That's the special relationship there in a nutshell, folks!

It's a bit hot today, so I'm off for some iced covfefe.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

I love how news sites proclaim their opinion of a politician by the photos they choose to use.

The new PM's full name is Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson. I think from now on I will call him Da Pfeffel, it sounds more British than Boris.

He was born in New York, which surely should disqualify him from being the PM of the UK.

Some Da Pfeffel quotes:

My friends, as I have discovered myself, there are no disasters, only opportunities. And, indeed, opportunities for fresh disasters.

Yes, Bozo. The road before you lies paved with opportunities. Gawd 'elp us all.

My chances of being PM are about as good as the chances of finding Elvis on Mars, or my being reincarnated as an olive.

I'll look forward to seeing you sitting in a Martini with a toothpick threaded through your ears, singing Fools Rush In.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

All the naysayers and people who have never made a typo themselves and those who KNOW what is going to happen if UK leaves EU with no deal etc etc.

bloke hasn't even met the Queen yet and already he is being hailed as a disaster.

can he really be worse than Bliar and Broon and the Maybot?

0 ( +4 / -4 )

Boris Johnson chosen as Britain's next prime minister

That sum up the situation nicely. And the usual suspects resort to name-calling because they are, once again, shocked that world politics doesn't turn out the way they demand that is should. It's obvious to some that the usual suspect's rants are simply not very convincing. Oh sure, the usual suspects continue to convince themselves that they have converted the choir into believing as they do, but they never seem to understand that the choir had already been convinced. They're only singing (loudly) from the same hymnal. What they need to do is convince the un-convinced to change their vote. And that is very difficult to do when the un-convinced believe the usual suspects to dishonest, or untrustworthy, or simply biased hypocrites.

Johnson is the PM. The Brexit/Remain issue was voted on by the voters, and Brexit carried the day.

-1 ( +5 / -6 )

Well, the stream that the UK was using to move into 3rd world status has just turned into a flood. Captain BJ, as

he is called in many circles, will captain that ship right to the bottom.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

The Brexit/Remain issue was voted on by the voters

Non-binding referendum.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

To quote his hero, WSC.

Success is going from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm.

Sums up his career to date pretty well.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Another -imo more interesting- YouGov poll: only 27% of Brits (surveyed) think it's likely they'll have left the EU by the end of Oct vs 56% who think it's unlikely.

In other words, only one in four Brits believe BJ will be able to deliver on his main promise. Is that wishful thinking, pessimism or realism (or even fatalism/defeatism)? I was expecting something close to a 50/50 split or even 55/45 "we'll be out by then" considering Brits were/still are evenly split over brexit.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

@goldorak

In other words, only one in four Brits believe BJ will be able to deliver on his main promise. Is that wishful thinking, pessimism or realism (or even fatalism/defeatism)? I was expecting something close to a 50/50 split or even 55/45 "we'll be out by then" considering Brits were/still are evenly split over brexit.

That is because most voters know that the majority of the Conservative party is anti-Brexit, and won't let it happen, so even if Boris tries his best to make it happen, it won't. It will have to be another election, then a fresh parliament with MPs who respect the decision to make it happen.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

So just because they both have distinctive blonde hair, that makes Trump and Boris Johnson the same? No wonder this world is falling apart, we're too busy tarring everyone with the same brush to be bothered to actually work towards making things better.

Given our options, we really don't have anyone better than Boris Johnson. I don't expect him to be in power for long, but he'll be there long enough to uphold his promises regarding Brexit, That in itself will make him better than Theresa May, who lied about delivering on Brexit while spending 3 years destroying it. Economists are hard to trust because they're very melodramatic. Every time someone sneezes they reckon it'll cause a recession. They're too skittish for their own good. We've been working hard these past 3 years to make sure we don't slip into recession even in a no-deal scenario. We have plans in place for that. We won't be hurt as badly as they say. It'll sting, but we'll recover. Britain's pretty good at that, though it could stand to improve on it.

"On Brexit, the new prime minister must not underestimate the benefits of a good deal,"

And he will, if a good deal is presented. However, the EU have never offered any such thing. It has only offered one big middle finger, which is why it keeps getting rejected. If that's all they're going to offer us, we'll be forced to stick two fingers up in return and go with no-deal. It's not great, but it's better than to accept that middle finger.

I'm interested to see what Boris ends up doing. He comes across as an oddball, and he might put his foot in his mouth at times, but he's got potential. Not quite at a "diamond in the rough" level, but there's a spark there that needs bringing out. Just need to get the media and the doubters to stop waving pitchforks.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

That in itself will make him better than Theresa May, who lied about delivering on Brexit while spending 3 years destroying it. 

Johnson lied about Brexit, too. In fact, he's made a career out of lying to the electorate, the media, his friends and colleagues.

And don't forget his Darius Guppy connection, his comments regarding the Border as being akin to congestion charges and asking why An Taoiseach wasn't called "Murphy like all the others".

Is he like Trump? Both are privileged, prone to lies, u-turns and bigotry. Both are ambitious to the point where they will jettison previously held positions. Boris is slightly more intelligent and charismatic, I'll give him that.

The one good thing is that the union will eventually splinter and Scotland will achieve independence and Ireland will be a nation once again (hopefully by peaceful means, even if the GFA is to be sacrificed by Johnson and co.)

After all, if the UK can leave the EU, only fair that Ireland and Scotland can sever the union with the UK.

And for Ireland, it means that all those who died, didn't do so in vain. And it will finally bring closure for the families involved.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

Looks like the U.K. wanted it's own Donny. Yikes

Looks like the UK wanted to be free from the globalists in Brussels. Good on them.

-4 ( +5 / -9 )

Looks like the UK wanted to be free from the globalists in Brussels. Good on them.

The UK didn't vote for Johnson as PM, though. A tiny, tiny bunch of people - Conservative party members voted him into No.10.

And why are you - again - using the anti-Semitic "globalist" trope? Do you understand that by leaving the EU, the UK's economy will suffer, as will the economy of its neighbor, Ireland.

Do you think, in light of his comments about Ireland, the Border, the 6 counties - he's the right man to oversee the continuation of the peace process, or will he preside over the end of the UK?

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Let's look on the bright side. He's an opportunist and will blow with the wind if he can make out he's doing the blowing. As he'll struggle to get any plan for Brexit through the House of Commons, he'll go for a second referendum with basically May's deal (with a few punctuation changes so he can call it his own) on offer along with No Deal or Remain. He won't care what the result is. He can claim he's delivering democracy. Recedite, plebes!

1 ( +1 / -0 )

"They say 'Britain Trump,' they call him Britain Trump..."

Who's "they?" The voices in his head?

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Looks like the UK wanted to be free from the globalists in Brussels. Good on them.

If Boris Johnson really will steer a more protectionist course or if he in the end will embrace globalism like so many other world leaders needs yet to be seen.

At this point nobody can say for certain what the future for Great Britain brings, it's not even sure yet there actually will be a Brexit and if so wether or not if it will  be a hard or a soft one.

But if it really does come to a Brexit I think it is only fair we make an evaluation of the consequences after five years instead of shooting it down right now.

Everybody nows the Brexit isn't irreversible and can be easily be undone if necessary.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Plenty of negative comments getting posted, the bottom line is the Britain needs to get out of the EU, the EU has already taken 15 billion pounds from the British this year to prop up their budget.

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

Typical hate comments from liberals here.

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

Toasted Heretic - The UK didn't vote for Johnson as PM, though. A tiny, tiny bunch of people - Conservative party members voted him into No.10.

Which is how this parliamentary system works. The voters know how it works. The political parties know how this system works. Representatives of the voters were elected to office. The winning/majority party then selects the PM.

Under your "tiny, tiny bunch of people" trope it can be said that no PM was ever elected by the voters in the U.K..

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

Everybody nows the Brexit isn't irreversible and can be easily be undone if necessary.

Not so. If the UK leaves and then asks to be allowed back in, there is no way the other 27 will let them in with the same favourable terms the UK enjoys at the moment. The pound, for a start, would have to give way to the euro; and the rebate would be no more.

And once the chlorinated chicken and GMO corn and soy has infiltrated the UK market, it will be a hell of a job to clean up UK trade to comply once more with EU standards.

Brexit can be easily undone like jumping off a cliff can be easily undone.

 it is only fair we make an evaluation of the consequences after five years instead of shooting it down right now.

It won't take another five years to know that sterling has plummeted in the past three years, or that some 240,000+ jobs have been lost, or that annual tax revenue is down some £2 billion+. Banks, asset management and insurance companies are transferring money out of the UK hand over fist.

the EU has already taken 15 billion pounds from the British this year to prop up their budget.

No it hasn't.

UK's membership fee for 2018 was £17.4 billion.

The rebate was £4.2 billion.

The EU spent £4.3 billion on the UK public sector.

A quick calculation comes up with a figure of £8.9 billion for the whole year.

And you think it's 15 billion for 2019 so far, and August not here yet?

Being in the EU creates trade, jobs and investment worth way more than what the UK pays in.

The economic effects of Brexit on the UK will be bad in the short, medium and long term.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Not so. If the UK leaves and then asks to be allowed back in, there is no way the other 27 will let them in with the same favourable terms the UK enjoys at the moment.

Yes they will, Great Britain is the fifth largest economy in the world and would be a huge asset to the European Union that's why they bended almost backwards to keep the UK in the European Union in some shape or form.

It won't take another five years to know that sterling has plummeted in the past three years, or that some 240,000+ jobs have been lost, or that annual tax revenue is down some £2 billion+. Banks, asset management and insurance companies are transferring money out of the UK hand over fist.

With all due respect but who here knows for sure if these trends will continue over the next five years with Brexit in place ?

The economic effects of Brexit on the UK will be bad in the short, medium and long term.

You don't know that, let's wait and see before we make premature conclusions.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

arrestpaulToday  05:20 pm JST

Toasted Heretic - The UK didn't vote for Johnson as PM, though. A tiny, tiny bunch of people - Conservative party members voted him into No.10.

Which is how this parliamentary system works.

No, that's how Conservative Party leadership elections work.

 Representatives of the voters were elected to office. The winning/majority party then selects the PM.

Not really. The winning party selects its leader before it gets voted in. That leader then becomes PM. The Conservatives didn't really win the last election and the duly elected Conservative MPs didn't choose Boris Johnson as leader afterwards. The unelected Conservative Party ordinary members have just selected him. So it's really more correct to say the UK didn't vote for Johnson as PM.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Yes they will

You know how it's easy for the police to get suspects to rat on each other by telling them the other will first? They can do this, because the more suspects there are, the more doubt there is that even one of them will spill the beans.

You are talking about 27 nations. If one of them decides to play hardball, what is the UK going to do about it if they want back in? You act as if the UK would have a strong bargaining position, but the fact that they would be coming back hat in hand to an organization they left, it's not hard to think that at least one of those 27 countries would be bitter about the whole thing and maybe even become unreasonable on the matter - which would shut out the UK altogether.

This isn't the same as a kid leaving his parents house to see what the world is like.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Great Britain is the fifth largest economy in the world

It won't be after it loses its huge European markets.

The economic effects of Brexit on the UK will be bad in the short, medium and long term.

You don't know that, let's wait and see

The economists who know what they're talking about more than either you or me are all pessimistic. The Chancellor of the Exchequer has resigned because he cannot sport a Boris Brexit. Even the hard-line Brexiteers are saying things like It won't be as bad as World War II. There's optimism for you.

Invalid CSRF

1 ( +3 / -2 )

You act as if the UK would have a strong bargaining position

They are the fifth strongest economy in the world, sounds like a very strong bargaining position to me.

it's not hard to think that at least one of those 27 countries would be bitter about

The European Union is not led by a bunch of children running around with bruised ego's, they think about what benefits them the most and even if one country would oppose to the UK evetually being led back in, which a highly doubt, there is nothing some good old lobbying and diplomacy can't fix to get everybody in line which has been the workings inside the European Union for decades now.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

It won't be after it loses its huge European markets.

They don't stop trade with Europe, they are just leaving the European Union.

The economists who know what they're talking about more than either you or me are all pessimistic.

Not all UK economists are pessimistic about Brexit but according to you those who are not pessimistic don't know what they are talking about so what can I say...

The Chancellor of the Exchequer has resigned because he cannot sport a Boris Brexit. Even the hard-line Brexiteers are saying things like It won't be as bad as World War II. There's optimism for you.

Let's just wait and seehow it all plays out that's all I am saying.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Chosen by 92,000 swivel eyed Tories. Not exactly democratic.

thankfully, he only has a working majority of two, possibly one after an upcoming by-election, and a House full of MPs that loathe him. The knives will be out in a week or so.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Whatever we think of BJ (great acronym), the many on here who view the EU as a bastion of freedom and liberalism and of economic prosperity are not entirely in accord with the facts.  Plenty of evidence to show otherwise.

And citing economists as "knowing" what will happen post Brexit is ridiculous.  "Predicting" maybe,.   Like they "predicted" the financial crisis......   Or zero interest rates for years on end.  Or whjere the oil price is today.  Or whatever else........

I say give this joker a chance.  He can't be worse than some of the other recent frauds who have been UK PM.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

When the Uk leaves the EU there will be no return in this lifetime of anyone alive. All 27 current countries would have to agree and the process would take more than 10 years, as it did n the first place.

I personally don't think it will take ten years for the UK to rejoin the European Union because things have changed drastically since when they were first let in but even if that would be the case many of us  will be still alive by then and I hope you too.

The UK wasn't a member of the Euro but all new countries joining the EU also joins the Euro. The UK if it joined again but also be required to join the Euro.

That will all depend on future negotiations if and when they will happen.

The European Union tends to be very lenient towards a powerful ally like the UK that's why they went to extreme lenghts to keep them in even allowing for a soft Brexit.

Letting UK keep the Sterling after reentering the European Union doesn't seem like a insurmountable hurlde.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

The team are ready to closely follow the moron with pooper-scoopers.

Rather fitting that this nincompoop is to lead Britain off the cliff.

Toodles !

0 ( +2 / -2 )

for many the French opposed British EU membership.

The negotiations won't be easy that's for sure.

I’m already three score and ten.

Haha don't worry you will be perfectly fine then ;-)

0 ( +0 / -0 )

It's nice that you put the funny bits at the top of your posts to save us all the trouble of having to read the rest.

What was so funny about that? At some point you're going to have to start making some arguments. Do you have any, Alf?

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

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