Boris takes over

Boris takes over

New British PM has his task cut out on Brexit.

Boris Johnson is the new Prime Minister of the UK, having secured victory in the leadership race of the Conservative Party. Johnson won 66% of the votes of party members, almost twice as many as his rival, foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt. The leadership race was triggered after outgoing British premier Theresa May decided to step down as Conservative leader in June. This was after she failed to sell her Brexit withdrawal agreement to the British Parliament. But her replacement Johnson pitches an even harder line on Brexit and has said that he will leave the European Union with or without a deal come the October 31 deadline.

However, a no-deal Brexit will be disastrous for the UK, causing much disruptions to trade, businesses and people. Johnson ideally wants to rewrite the Brexit deal. But Brussels is in no mood to relent. Besides, the British Parliament while rejecting May’s soft Brexit deal – which envisaged a combined customs territory and a 21-month transition period with EU – has also voted against a no-deal Brexit. Therefore, if Johnson tries to push through his ‘do-or-die’ approach to Brexit, it could trigger another leadership crisis within the Conservative Party.

That said, Johnson does bring a new energy to the British prime ministership that had started to look jaded under May. He has promised a new ‘can do’ spirit, pledged to unite his country and present a radically new Cabinet that will include members from ethnic minority backgrounds. Two MPs with Indian background – Priti Patel and Alok Sharma – are likely to get Cabinet berths. In fact, Johnson’s connection with India runs deep – his estranged wife Marina Wheeler has Indian ancestry – and this could see India-UK relations acquire a special touch. But before that Johnson has to provide clarity on Brexit to ensure a stable administration in London. And that won’t be easy given the diverse and complex positions of British legislators.