May marshals ministers for march out of Europe

All change in downing Street as new British PM makes some surprising choices for her ministers.

New British Prime Minister Theresa May speaking outside her official residence,10 Downing Street in London July 13, 2016. Kirsty Wigglesworth/ AP

LONDON // Theresa May began her first full day as the UK’s prime minister on Thursday, aware that bitter divisions over Brexit – and her choice of Boris Johnson as foreign minister – make her job potentially tougher than for any British leader since Winston Churchill took office in the Second World War.

After three tumultuous weeks in British politics, Mrs May raised eyebrows around the world by gambling on the colourful but unpredictable former London mayor in the top diplomatic role.

But her choice of picking a mixture of pro-Remain and pro-Leave ministers in her government could prove tricky as she tries to preserve cabinet unity.

Mr Johnson’s conversion from a pro-Remain stance to pro-Leave was widely seen as motivated by a desire to succeed David Cameron as premier. That ambition was destroyed when his ally-turned-rival Michael Gove announced his own bid to become the Conservative party’s leader shortly after the June 23 referendum.

There was no cabinet place for Mr Gove, accused by Johnson supporters of betrayal.

Educated at the elite Eton public school and Oxford, Mr Johnson has become a hate figure for the anti-Brexit camp.

The media in some of the neighbouring European countries with which he must now deal as foreign minister treat him as something of a buffoon. Even former prime minister John Major, a fellow Conservative, called him a “court jester” during the campaign.

Theories vary on Mrs May’s reasoning. She may feel her government – and party – benefit because Mr Johnson is popular among grassroots Tory supporters, did well on the foreign stage as a champion of London and deserves recognition for his prominence in the Leave campaign. More mischievously, some pundits say the more pressing his international duties, the less opportunity he has to harm the new leadership at home.

Mrs May also turned to another Brexit supporter, David Davis, a past contender for the Conservative leadership, for the vital role of secretary of state to lead Britain’s negotiations for the best possible Brexit deal.

The job of finance minister went to a Remain campaigner, Philip Hammond, known in parliament as a “safe pair of hands”. He replaces George Osborne, much criticised for the so-called “project fear” – bombarding voters with warnings about the economic consequences of leaving the EU.

Not only does Britain’s new prime minister have to deal with the details of avoiding a messy divorce from the union, she must also face stiff challenges on immigration, terrorism, public services and Scottish restlessness.

The vote to leave the EU has triggered a social and economic crisis in the UK as well as forced Mr Cameron out of office and prompted a leadership battle in the main opposition Labour party.

After campaigning for Remain – unenthusiastically, according to some observers – 59-year-old Mrs May lost no time in speaking passionately in favour of making a success of separation.

“Brexit means Brexit,” she has repeatedly said, adding earlier this week that “there will be no attempts to remain inside the EU, no attempts to rejoin it by the back door and no second referendum. The country voted to leave and as prime minister I will make sure that we leave.”

Disarray within Labour ranks, however, with a leadership election called after Jeremy Corbyn angered many colleagues with his lukewarm support for Remain, will not necessarily help.

"Labour chaos is a huge problem for them, of course, but doesn't really make life easier for the Tories," said Kevin Maguire, a political commentator and associate editor of the pro-Labour Daily Mirror. "It may embolden the staunchest pro-Brexit Conservative rebels to keep up the pressure on Mrs May to such an extent that her party is not only the government but also, effectively, the opposition."

Among those drawing the wartime analogy is the historian Peter Snowdon, an authority on Conservative politics whose new book, Cameron at 10: The Verdict, co-written with Anthony Seldon, was rush-released on Thursday.

“We are not at war,” he said. “But I cannot think of a crisis of this magnitude to face any prime minister on entering office since Churchill in 1940.

“Cameron himself had to deal with the aftermath of the post-2008 economic crisis, Margaret Thatcher with the ‘winter of discontent’ – [disruptive public services strikes] – but this is on a different scale economically and, with the Scottish question, constitutionally.”

As Mrs May worked on completing the composition of her first government, British media talked of a “groaning in-tray” awaiting her.

Even Brexit supporters were shocked by the speed with which campaign promises – from halting immigration to diverting money from EU contributions to the cash-strapped national health service – were withdrawn once the vote result was announced.

Meanwhile, Scottish nationalists are itching for another referendum on independence and want continued EU membership. Immigration, terrorism and controversy on human rights legislation will also consume much of Mrs May’s time. There is also the issue of the amount made available for foreign aid, currently 0.7 per cent of national income, with many Conservatives wanting cuts.

But Brexit will demand most attention. New finance minister Mr Hammond, foreign minister under Mr Cameron, warned this week it could take up to six years to resolve all the negotiating issues.

EU leaders, notably the French president Francois Hollande and German chancellor Angela Merkel, have shown little appetite for giving Britain an easy ride. Mrs Merkel, however, was among the first to call Mrs May with congratulations on her rise to power.

Crucially, Mrs May must try to heal wounds inflicted on national unity by a bruising referendum, which resulted in the pound weakening – at one point dipping to US$1.28 on Asian markets, its lowest level for 31 years – and cost the country its triple AAA credit status from Standard and Poor’s.

Conscious of the divisions, Mrs May insists she will be a “one nation” leader. That means, she said on Wednesday, “fighting against the burning injustice that if you’re born poor you will die on average nine years earlier than others” and leading a government driven not by the interests of a privileged few, but by those of ordinary people.

Does she have the ability to emulate the achievements of Britain’s first female premier, Margaret Thatcher?

“She wants to make Brexit a success,” said Mr Snowdon. “And I am sure her party wishes her well in that. But it is too early to see the wood for the trees and I would not like to make a judgement just yet on whether she will prove up to it.”