Boris Johnson promises ‘closure’ over Brexit & NHS as a new top priority so Britain can heal after landslide poll win
TRIUMPHANT Boris Johnson struck a conciliatory tone by promising today to give the nation “closure” over Brexit after winning a landslide election victory.
Speaking from Downing Street, the Prime minister said the country can now heal and make the NHS its top priority as parliamentary deadlock is finally broken.
- Follow the action with our live-blog here
Johnson urged “everyone to find closure and to let the healing begin”, adding that “the overwhelming priority of the British people is that we should focus, above all, on the NHS”.
He added: “We are going to unite and level up… Bringing together the whole of this incredible United Kingdom — England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland together, taking us forward, unleashing the potential of the whole country, delivering opportunity across the entire nation.”
Mr Johnson’s call to unite the entire nation appeared to be a pointed message to SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon who has demanded the right to hold a second independence referendum.
After the SNP took 48 of the 59 seats in Scotland, the First Minister said she would next week set out a “detailed democratic case” for a transfer of power to Holyrood to enable a referendum to be put “beyond legal challenge”.
Johnson also spoke out directly to people who hadn’t voted Tory and wanted to remain in the EU.
He said: “I want you to know that we in this One Nation Conservative government will never ignore your good and positive feelings of warmth and sympathy towards the nations of Europe.”
But as well as inviting voters to seek closure, Johnson said we should take a well-earned break from politics.
He said: “After five weeks, frankly, of electioneering, this country deserves a break from wrangling, a break from politics, and a permanent break from talking about Brexit.
“I want everyone to go about their Christmas preparations happy and secure in the knowledge that here, in this people’s government, the work is now being stepped up to make 2020 a year of prosperity and growth and hope, and to deliver a parliament that works for the people.”
He arrived at Buckingham Palace just before 11am this morning where he met the Queen to receive royal approval to form the next government.
Mr Johnson left the Palace after a meeting which lasted more than 35 minutes, which is longer than expected.
He then returned to whoops and cheers at No10 following his historic election victory.
Boris’ snap General Election gamble paid off as he romped home with a majority of 78. St Ives was the last seat to declare just before 3pm today, with the Tories winning an increased majority there.
Latest news at 2pm:
-
- Boris Johnson has broken down Labour’s red wall with incredible wins across the North of England and Wales
- With all but one seat declared Boris has won 47 extra seats for the Tories, but Labour has lost 59
- Furious MPs have demanded Jeremy Corbyn quits immediately – and blamed him for turning the party into a “racist” one
- Sir Keir Starmer is the favourite to take over as Labour boss – but Jess Phillips threw her hat in the ring and Emily Thornberry also hinted at a run
- The pound surged by more than two per cent on the news of a Tory majority
- Brexit is to come ‘soon’ after Boris’s election win after EU says it’s ‘ready for next phase’
- Donald Trump says US will strike massive new trade deal with Britain after Brexit
- A Queen’s Speech is expected to be scheduled for next Thursday with the State Opening of Parliament
- The final result of the election has now been delivered, with the Tories taking an 80-seat majority in the House of Commons
The ecstatic Tory boss said his “stonking” win has given him a “powerful mandate to get Brexit done” as humiliated Jeremy Corbyn vowed to quit.
Mr Corbyn said he would stand down “in the early part of next year”.
The results mean Britain’s political chaos could finally be over, leaving Mr Johnson with the numbers to finally push his Brexit deal through Parliament in just weeks.
Mr Johnson was applauded and cheered by supporters as he gave a tub-thumping speech in Westminster just after 7am, following the Tories’ best election win since 1983.
Thanking the British people for putting their trust in him, he said in echoes of Tony Blair after his 1997 landslide: “We did it, we pulled it off!
“We broke the deadlock, we smashed the roadblock and a new dawn rises on a new day.”
‘NO IFS, NO BUTS, NO MAYBES’
The PM insisted that “getting Brexit done is the irrefutable, inarguable decision of the British people” after the night’s results.
“We will get Brexit done on time, by 31 January, no ifs, no buts, no maybes,” he promised.
And the decisive win has “put an end to those miserable threats of a second referendum”.
In a stark message to those who have been pushing for a rerun of the 2016 Brexit contest, he said: “That’s it. Put a sock in the megaphone.”
He joked: “Let’s get Brexit done. But first, let’s get breakfast done.”
Speaking directly to voters in the North and Midlands who helped the Tories overturn more than a dozen seats from Labour, he said he would make it his “mission to work night and day, flat out” to earn their support in the future.
“You may have only lent us your vote,” he continued.
“Your hand may have quivered over the ballot paper before you put your cross in the box.
“I am humbled you put your trust in me and in us, and I will never take your support for granted,” he promised.
“Your voice has been heard, and about time too.”
He vowed to make the NHS his top priority and deliver the funding it needs, before turning his attention to Britain’s other issues.
POLITICAL ‘EARTHQUAKE’
In a speech to congratulate activists at CCHQ he said the country had given him a “stonking mandate” and the Tories had created a political “earthquake”.
“We have changed the political map in this country,” he said.
“We have to grapple with the consequences of that. We have to change our own party. We have to rise to the level of events.
“We have to rise to the challenge that the British people have given us.”
Boris’ aide Dominic Cummings said this morning: “After the shock of the referendum MPs and journalists should have taken a deep breath and had a lot of self-reflection of why they misunderstood what was going on in the country but instead a lot of people just doubled down on their own ideas and f****d it up even more.
“That’s why something like this happens against expectations.”
Meanwhile, Mr Corbyn said he will step down as Labour boss before the next election after failing to win a second poll in a row – and taking the party to its worst result in 40 years.
But he refused to say when that would happen, and insisted the party had to have a period of “reflection”.
The leftie boss dashed home this morning and wasn’t seen addressing activists at their headquarters.
He said as he won his seat in Islington North: “I want to also make it clear that I will not lead the party in any future general election campaign.
“I will discuss with our party to ensure there is a process now of reflection on this result and on the policies that the party will take going forward.
“And I will lead the party during that period to ensure that discussion takes place and we move on into the future.”
Labour this morning lost Workington, Darlington and Bishop Auckland to the Tories – some of them turning blue for the very first time.
A whole host of seats went blue across the North as voters backed Mr Johnson to “get Brexit done”.
In Wales, where all the results are in, the Tories won 14 seats – their largest haul in the country since 1983 and the highest ever Conservative vote there.
So far the turnout is slightly down from 2017 – on 67.17 per cent.
The SNP have so far picked up 48 seats, and the Lib Dems just 11.
Today’s results are even more positive than Boris had been predicted – the last MRP study had just a 28 seat majority for Boris on the cards.
Boris is planning to bring the Brexit bill back to Parliament next week, and have a small reshuffle of his Cabinet too.
Insiders said the mood at CCHQ was “sheer jubilation” and when the exit poll news broke officials hugged and kissed – and cracked open the drinks.
Ex-Chancellor George Osborne said the victory was down to Labour boss Mr Corbyn.
He told ITV: “Jeremy Corbyn was the handmaiden to a Boris Johnson landslide. It’s a complete catastrophe for the left.
“Every Tory I know was cheering when Jeremy Corbyn got elected.”
Shadow cabinet minister Barry Gardiner said: “I’m deeply, deeply depressed.”
Already Labour MPs started blaming Brexit for the result.
Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell told the BBC: “If it is anything near this it is disappointing.”
And he added: “I think Brexit did dominate this election… I think they most probably did want to get it done and that’ll be it.
“I think people on all sides were frustrated, wanted Brexit out of the way and that’s what’s happened.”
The big names who have lost their seats tonight
- Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson lost to the SNP in Dunbartonshire East.
- Shadow Secretary of State for Employment Rights Laura Pidcock lost to the Tories in North West Durham.
- Former Labour shadow chancellor and independent Chris Leslie lost to Labour in Nottingham East.
- DUP Westminster leader Nigel Dodds lost to Sinn Fein in Belfast North.
- Chuka Umunna, now standing as a Lib Dem lost in the Cities of London and Westminster to the Tories.
- Shadow Brexit minister Jenny Chapman lost to the Tories in Darlington.
- Shadow Environment Secretary Sue Hayman lost to the Tories in Workington.
- Former Tory mayoral candidate Zac Goldsmith lost to the Lib Dems in Richmond.
- Former Minister Caroline Flint lost to the Tories in Don Valley.
- Change UK leader Anna Soubry lost out in Broxtowe
- Former Attorney General Dominic Grieve lost out to the Tories in Beaconsfield
- Chris Williamson ran as an independent and got just 635 votes in Derby North
- Dennis Skinner lost his seat in Bolsolver to the Tories
FARAGE FAILS AGAIN
Nigel Farage said last night his party had done a good job, despite facing picking up no seats at all.
He told the BBC’s Andrew Neil: “We’ve used our influence that’s the important thing. We are a new party, we’ve got no councillors, no base.
“If we get Brexit, given that it was in the weeds back in February, we set this thing up, we’ve put it back on track, if we get there we’ve done a good job.
“I’ve killed the Liberal Democrats and I’ve hurt the Labour Party.”
Several Labour candidates told The Sun last night that Mr Corbyn was personally to blame for Labour’s dire performance.
And the party’s shocking anti-Semitism crisis was also cited as a reason for the poor result.
Gareth Snell, who was one of the 19 Labour MPs to vote for Boris Johnson’s deal, said it was one of Labour’s darkest days in its history.
In a damning verdict he fumed: “The exit poll is a catastrophe for the Labour party. This is one of the worst results the Labour party could ever have imagined.
“It’s collective failure of those at the top.”
Sources said staff at Labour HQ were sent home early so they “don’t take notes or leak anything”.
Hundreds of bottles of ‘Corbynista Victory Ale’ were left unopened.
LABOUR FEAR ELECTION WIPE OUT
The bitter civil war over Labour’s future broke out on live TV in the early hours of this morning.
The party’s former Home Secretary Alan Johnson accused the head of the Corbyn-backing Momentum campaign Jon Lansman of betraying Labour’s traditional working class voter base.
Eye-balling Mr Lansman on ITV, Mr Johnson fumed: “I don’t live in London. I live in Yorkshire. I live in a working class community.
“And I’ve known Jon for many years, Jon’s been around from the Bennite days. And I’m afraid the working classes have always been a big disappointment for Jon and his cult.
“Corbyn was a disaster on the doorstep. Everyone knew that he couldn’t lead the working class out of a paper bag.
“Now Jon’s developed this Momentum group, this party within a party, aiming to keep the purity, the culture of betrayal goes on.
“You’ll hear it now more and more over the next couple of days as this little cults get their act together. I want them out of the party. I want Momentum gone, go back to your student politics and your little left wing.”
Mr Lansman appeared to blame the result on Mr Corbyn’s lack of passion for the job. He said: “Jeremy has always been a reluctant leader. I don’t think he will overstay his welcome.”
Ex-Labour MP John Mann said prominent Remainers such as Shadow Brexit Secretary Sir Keir Starmer must take a share of the blame for the result.
He said: “Corbyn owns this disaster, but don’t forget the role played by Keir Starmer in this disaster either – as many about to lose will testify.”
Ian Murray, one of Labour’s few Scottish MPs before the election, added his name to the growing number calling for Mr Corbyn’s head.
He said: “Every door I knocked on, and my team and I spoke to 11,000 people, mentioned Corbyn. Not Brexit but Corbyn. I’ve been saying this for years. The outcome is that we’ve let the country down and we must change course and fast.”