Boris Johnson becomes British prime minister

LONDON: Boris Johnson took over as Britain´s prime minister Wednesday, promising to pull his country out of the European Union on October 31 by any means necessary. A day after winning the leadership of his Conservative party, the former London mayor and figurehead of the 2016 Brexit campaign formally replaced Theresa May.

His ascent is the culmination of a lifelong ambition for the blond-haired politician, who delights in playing the clown but now faces an immense challenge ahead. Johnson has promised to deliver Brexit in three months´ time but faces opposition in Brussels and has only a wafer-thin majority in the British parliament. Beloved by many for his refusal to take life too seriously, he is accused by others of divisive rhetoric, a flexible approach to the truth and incompetence. Before he even took office, several pro-European ministers quit in protest at his threat to leave the EU without a divorce agreement to ease the split. Opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn challenged Johnson to call a snap general election, saying he has no mandate from the public to govern. Although he won a landslide of Conservative party members, a YouGov survey Wednesday found Johnson´s approval rating was just 31 percent among the public. Even his appointment was disrupted by climate protesters, who briefly stopped his convoy heading to Buckingham Palace to be nominated by Queen Elizabeth II.

Johnson swiftly announced his new cabinet, and his first appointment proved predictably contentious. He named as a top adviser Dominic Cummings, a combative character who helped lead the victorious “Vote Leave” campaign during the 2016 EU referendum.

Johnson named former interior minister Sajid Javid to take over from Philip Hammond as finance minister in his first cabinet appointment. Javid, a former banker from a modest background, was a contender for the premiership but endorsed Johnson when he failed to get enough support from fellow Conservative MPs.

Brexit hardliner Dominic Raab to be Britain´s foreign secretary, the government said. Raab, 45, who was also named as Johnson´s effective deputy, resigned as Brexit minister in Theresa May´s government last year saying the divorce deal she struck with Brussels offered too many compromises.