Sign up here to receive the daily news briefing in your inbox every morning with exclusive insight from the BrexitCentral team Boris Johnson wins race to be Tory leader and Prime Minister… Boris Johnson has been elected new Conservative leader in a ballot of party members and will become the next UK prime minister. He beat Jeremy Hunt comfortably, winning 92,153 votes to his rival’s 46,656. The former London mayor takes over from Theresa May on Wednesday. In his victory speech, Mr Johnson promised he would “deliver Brexit, unite the country and defeat Jeremy Corbyn”. Speaking at the Queen Elizabeth II centre in London, he said: “We are going to energise the country. “We are going to get Brexit done on 31 October and take advantage of all the opportunities it will bring with a new spirit of can do. We are once again going to believe in ourselves, and like some slumbering giant we are going to rise and ping off the guy ropes of self doubt and negativity.” Mr Johnson thanked his predecessor, saying it had been “a privilege to serve in her cabinet”. He was Mrs May’s foreign secretary until resigning over Brexit. The outgoing PM in turn congratulated her successor, promising him her “full support from the backbenches”. – BBC News > WATCH: Boris Johnson’s victory speech at the Conservative Party Election results …as he plans to name new Cabinet members later today Just hours after being confirmed as the new leader of the Conservative Party, Boris Johnson will soon be making the key appointments for his first Cabinet as Prime Minister. With less than 100 days to go before Brexit, the pressure is on Mr Johnson to bring together a team who will help him deliver his promises “do or die”. It’s already known he’ll be losing Chancellor Philip Hammond, and Rory Stewart has said he will stand down as International Development Secretary, while David Gauke will quit as Justice Secretary. Priti Patel is expected to take one of the top jobs, returning after scandal saw her resign from high office in 2017. Westminster whispers say Sajid Javid is likely to get the job as Chancellor of the Exchequer. After a “love in” from the new Tory leader, it’s thought Jeremy Hunt will be kept on in Cabinet – but his role may change. Some have said Mr Hunt was offered the job of looking after defence, but declined on the basis of keeping his current office or nothing at all. It has been suggested David Davis may also make a return, the former Brexit secretary could bring to the top table the clout Mr Johnson may need to ensure the United Kingdom leaves the EU by the 31 October deadline he reassured voters he would abide by. Mark Spencer will become his chief whip, it was announced on Tuesday afternoon. Mr Johnson will have to make some difficult decisions after meeting with the Queen at Buckingham Palace. Speculation is mounting over whether leadership runner Jeremy Hunt will keep his Foreign Office position or be demoted to a lower ranking. – ITV News Boris Johnson to clear out Remainers and build a Brexiteer-majority Cabinet as he readies UK to leave EU – Telegraph (£) Jeremy Hunt turned down Boris Johnson’s offer to be Defence Secretary in his Cabinet as it’s a ‘demotion’ – The Sun Boris Johnson assembles team of Brexit true believers to take Britain out of the EU – The Sun Johnson’s Brexit plan shot down by the EU within moments of him becoming Tory leader… The EU has shot down Boris Johnson’s Brexit plan within moments of his appointment as Tory leader, in the latest sign that the bloc has no plans to make concessions. In an intervention timed to coincide with Mr Johnson’s election announcement, Frans Timmermans, the European Commission’s first vice president, told reporters in Brussels that the EU would not renegotiate. Another EU commissioner, Vytenis Andriukaitis, also warned that politicians like Mr Johnson were undermining democracy with “cheap promises, simplified visions, blatantly evident incorrect statements”. “He [Boris Johnson] took a long time deciding whether he was for or against Brexit and now his position is clear,” Mr Timmermans said. “I think the position of the EU is also clear: the United Kingdom reached an agreement with the European Union and the European Union will stick with that agreement. We will hear what the new prime minister has to say when he comes to Brussels.” – Independent EU leaders warn Boris not to rip up May’s Brexit as they gear up for brutal No Deal showdown – The Sun …while new Commission President Ursula von der Leyen says he ‘faces challenging times’ Incoming UK PM Boris Johnson faces “challenging” times, the EU has warned, as it reacted to his election as new Conservative leader. Mr Johnson has the immediate task of guiding the UK out of the EU ahead of a 31 October deadline. He says he wants to renegotiate an agreement with the EU, ditching large parts of the deal outgoing PM Theresa May struck last year. But EU leaders have said the withdrawal agreement is not up for renegotiation. The European Commission’s newly elected President, Ursula von der Leyen, has however said she is willing to grant the UK another extension to Brexit talks, if London comes up with good reasons. Congratulating Mr Johnson, Mrs von der Leyen said: “There are many different and difficult topics to tackle together. There are challenging times ahead of us. I think it is very important to build up a strong and a good working relation because we have the duty to deliver something that is good for people in Europe and in the United Kingdom.” The EU’s Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, is due to meet MEPs on the European Parliament’s Brexit Steering Group in an extraordinary meeting on Wednesday to respond to Mr Johnson’s election. – BBC News Nigel Farage says he is open to an electoral pact with Johnson Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage has said he is open to an electoral pact with the Conservative Party – if Boris Johnson is genuine about taking the UK out of the EU on 31 October. Mr Farage said Mr Johnson would need to call an election if he wanted a no-deal Brexit, in order to “change the arithmetic” in the Commons. He said there was then a “possibility” of a pact between the parties. But he added: “I don’t believe a single word the Conservative Party tell us.” An electoral pact usually involves not fielding candidates in specific areas, in order to allow another party a better chance of winning. A pact between the Brexit Party and the Conservatives could avoid splitting the pro-Brexit vote – but Mr Johnson has previously said he does not believe the Tories should do deals with any other party. The Brexit Party was the clear winner in the UK’s European elections in May, taking almost 32% of the vote in Great Britain, with the Conservatives winning only 9%. Mr Farage said: “Theresa May told us 108 times we were leaving on March 29 and we didn’t, so just because Boris says we’re leaving on the 31 October doesn’t mean we’re going to. We would need to believe them and at the moment that’s not very easy,” he added. – BBC News Jeremy Corbyn vows to ‘surprise’ Johnson with a no-confidence vote in due course in order to torpedo his premiership Jeremy Corbyn last night vowed to ‘surprise’ Boris Johnson with a no-confidence vote which could bring his premiership to an abrupt halt. The Labour leader said his party would table the motion at a time of its choosing, with sources not ruling out making a dramatic move this week. If Mr Johnson is toppled within the next four months, he would be the shortest-serving UK prime minister ever. Without the support of the DUP, the Conservatives do not have a majority in the Commons. Mr Corbyn tweeted: ‘Boris Johnson has won the support of fewer than 100,000 unrepresentative Conservative Party members by promising tax cuts for the richest, presenting himself as the bankers’ friend, and pushing for a damaging No Deal Brexit. But he hasn’t won the support of our country. ‘Johnson’s No Deal Brexit would mean job cuts, higher prices in the shops, and risk our NHS being sold off to US corporations in a sweetheart deal with Donald Trump. ‘The people of our country should decide who becomes the prime minister in a general election.’ Asked whether Labour will table a vote of no-confidence in the new prime minister, Mr Corbyn told the BBC: ‘We will table one when appropriate to do so. We’ll decide when that will be – it’ll be an interesting surprise for all of you.’ – Daily Mail > WATCH: Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn reacts to Boris Johnson’s election as PM DUP welcome Johnson’s appointment Boris Johnson’s divisive nature had led to a mixed reaction from Northern Ireland politicians after he was elected Tory leader. Mr Johnson is set to replace Theresa May as Prime Minister on Wednesday after besting Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt in the election. DUP leader Arlene Foster congratulated Mr Johnson on his victory and said she was “look forward to discussing our shared objectives of strengthening the union, delivering Brexit and restoring devolution”. The DUP will meet with Mr Johnson and his team in the coming days to discuss the renewal of the party’s confidence and supply agreement with the Conservative government. The government currently relies on the support of the ten DUP MPs for a majority at Westminster. Mr Johnson addressed the DUP party conference last November, calling for the Irish border backstop to be “junked” before performing a u-turn and voting for Mrs May’s Brexit deal.SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said that Mr Johnson’s victory marked “a worrying step towards a hard no-deal Brexit and hard border in Ireland”. Mr Johnson has pledged the UK will leave the EU on the October 31 deadline, but said it would be “lunacy” to impose a hard border in Ireland. While he has rejected the controversial Irish border backstop, Mr Johnson said he believed technological solutions could address the border issue. – Belfast Telegraph > WATCH: Sammy Wilson discusses Brexit policy and the DUP’s stance as Boris Johnson becomes PM Taoiseach keen to engage with new Tory leader The Taoiseach is keen to engage with new Conservative Party leader Boris Johnson at the earliest opportunity, Government sources have indicated. However, there is unlikely to be any public comment from Leo Varadkar until Mr Johnson becomes Prime Minister tomorrow. There is a sense of cordiality towards Mr Johnson in Government Buildings, but the mood remains resolute on the Withdrawal Agreement, which cannot be reopened. The European Union congratulated Mr Johnson but was firm that it would not heed his election promises of renegotiating Brexit. The bloc’s executive European Commission was willing to work with Mr Johnson, a spokeswoman said, but the limits were clear. “We look forward to working constructively with PM Johnson when he takes office, to facilitate the ratification of the Withdrawal Agreement and achieve an orderly Brexit,” said the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier. “We are ready also to rework the agreed declaration on a new partnership,” he added, referring to a political declaration that accompanies the legal Withdrawal Agreement. – RTE Nicola Sturgeon expresses ‘profound concerns’ about Johnson Scotland’s first minister has called on Boris Johnson to rule out a no-deal Brexit as she repeated her “profound concerns” about the prospect of him leading the country. Nicola Sturgeon said Mr Johnson should be in no doubt about the gravity of the situation he is about to inherit as PM. And she pledged to work with other parties to “stop Brexit and block a no-deal Brexit”. Her statement came just minutes after Mr Johnson was elected as Tory leader. In her statement, Ms Sturgeon congratulated Mr Johnson on his victory in the leadership contest, and said she would do “everything possible to ensure that he respects Scotland’s views and interests”. She added: “However, I have profound concerns about the prospect of his premiership and it would be hypocritical not to be frank about these. These are concerns that I am certain will be shared by the vast majority of people in Scotland who, had they been given any say, would not have chosen to hand the keys of Number 10 to someone with his views and track record. Mr Johnson should be in no doubt about the gravity of the situation he is about to inherit as prime minister nor, in particular, about the strength with which I and others will oppose his threat of a no-deal Brexit”. – BBC News Trump says new Prime Minister ‘will be great’ U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday heralded the selection of Boris Johnson as the new leader of Britain’s governing Conservative Party and the United Kingdom’s next prime minister, in a possible sign of warmer relations between the two allies. “Congratulations to Boris Johnson on becoming the new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He will be great!” Trump said in a post on Twitter shortly after Johnson’s election. Trump has had tense relations with outgoing British Prime Minister Theresa May despite being hosted for a state visit. Ties were further strained this month following leaked messages by the British ambassador to Washington that referred to Trump; the official later quit. The U.S. president has repeatedly praised Johnson, the flamboyant former London mayor and pro-Brexit champion who has been compared to the Republican U.S. president, a former reality television host and real estate developer known for his unconventional, combative approach to politics. Johnson was the overwhelming favourite to win Tuesday’s Conservative Party election despite a chaotic private life and a reputation for lies, exaggeration, a lack of seriousness and discipline. He replaces May, who stepped down after failing to deliver on her Brexit plan to leave the European Union. – Reuters Boris Johnson will meet Donald Trump three times in 100 days before Brexit as President says BoJo will ‘get it done’ – The Sun Iain Duncan Smith: If the Tories unite around Boris Johnson, he will deliver Brexit and save our great country It has long been obvious that the only person who has the ability to resolve this Brexit impasse and get us out of the EU is Boris Johnson. That Boris has been elected by two thirds of the party membership, at a time of national crisis, is vital because he has a clear mandate to take us out of the EU by 31 October. It has, I believe, become an uncomfortable fact for some who want to stop Brexit that David Cameron made it clear that the British people would decide whether we left the EU. The subsequent failure of the Government to deliver on that pledge has led to a crisis of trust with the British public and the very damaging creation of the Brexit Party. That is why Boris was so unequivocal in the campaign that we leave by 31 October or we will be punished by the voters, who buffeted by Parliament’s indecision are both angry and desperate for us to deliver on that pledge. Now he has been elected, the challenge really begins. Put simply, our new Prime Minister has 100 days to save not only my party but even more importantly our great country. To do that, he needs to show that our number one priority is to be ready to leave, deal or no deal by 31 October. This will take real determination and leadership. – Iain Duncan Smith MP for the Telegraph (£) Nigel Farage: Boris, the country is crying out for leadership – but with my party’s help, we can resolve Brexit After 40 years of dreaming about becoming the British prime minister, this is not the start that Boris Johnson would have wanted. He takes over a bitterly divided party; he has no overall parliamentary majority; and he has just 100 days to deliver Brexit. Truly, this is a bittersweet moment for him. The Conservative Party’s position in the Commons is not about to improve, either. Next week, the seat of Brecon and Radnorshire, held by the Tories since 2015, seems certain to be gained by the Liberal Democrats in a by-election. Furthermore, I expect resignations from within the Conservative parliamentary party if Mr Johnson proceeds with his ‘do or die’ Brexit strategy. For the fact is that many Tory Remainer politicians don’t just dislike Brexit, they actively hate Mr Johnson as well. Exactly where these unfavourable conditions leave the new prime minister is an open question. The pressure on him to resist a WTO withdrawal is so great, I believe he may conclude the only way to survive in No 10 is to revisit the failed Withdrawal Agreement and ask Brussels to help change some of its words. In the unlikely event that such a rehash were to be passed by MPs in Westminster, Mr Johnson would buy himself some breathing space, but the bigger picture would be bleak. It would lead to more years of discord and anger. An alternative survival route might be made available to Mr Johnson if he sought a further extension beyond 31 October. But, having given repeated assurances that the UK will leave the EU by that date come what may, it’s impossible to see how even he could pull off such a stunt and emerge with any credibility. Even on Brexit, he was very late to the cause. He will have a lot of convincing to do to persuade us that an early election will lead to a clean-break Brexit on 31 October. If he is able to convince us, then together we would electorally smash the Labour Party, he would assume a big working majority, and he would go down as one of the great leaders in British history. All this is possible, but is Boris Johnson brave enough? – Nigel Farage MEP for the Telegraph (£) Shanker Singham: Boris is right – You don’t need the backstop to keep the Irish border open after Brexit Boris Johnson – who seems likely to win the contest for the Conservative Party leadership, and hence become the country’s new PM – has compared the difficulties we face on the Irish border with landing a man on the moon. I have often used the same analogy. Like the moon landings, resolving the Irish border issue will be difficult but not impossible. And many of the technologies and practices required to do so already exist. We recently helped launch Prosperity UK’s Alternative Arrangements Commission Report and Protocols, which set out in a detailed, 273 page report precisely what is necessary to ensure alternative arrangements on the Irish border so the backstop is never triggered, or is replaced. I had the privilege of chairing the Technical Panel which consisted of some 25 global experts on trade, customs, the Good Friday Agreement (including people like Paul Bew and Graham Gudgin who were involved in crafting it) and international law. The report was the culmination of an intensive eight week period of study, and over 70 meetings with parties in Northern Ireland, Ireland and on the continent. Our suggested protocols, which could be used either stand-alone as part of any deal with the EU – or even as part of the current withdrawal agreement – were crafted with the help of the law firm Herbert Smith Freehills. Everything we discovered suggests that Boris is quite correct to say that the border issue can be resolved without the backstop – and that he is right to show the unbridled optimism which comes so naturally to him, and which this country badly needs after three years of relentless negativity. – Shaker Singham for the Telegraph (£) Stewart Jackson: Boris Johnson’s victory has reduced the infantile Remain resistance to dust It’s all over. The phoney war is finished. The three miserable years of Theresa May’s pseudo consensus, defeatism, splitting the middle, duplicity, capitulation and surrender is over. It’s Morning Again in the UK, to paraphrase Ronald Reagan just before his landslide presidential win in 1984. The Brexit denouement is at hand. Boris Johnson’s landslide win in the Conservative leadership contest stands in favourable contrast to that of David Cameron in 2005 – a solid two to one vote. Specifically, he won an absolute majority of votes not just of his fellow MPs but of the nearly 160,000 Conservative Party members. The bien pensant classes and London based media pundits told us as recently as March this year that this was unlikely if not impossible. He’s confounded their scepticism and that of the minority of Boris haters in the Conservative Parliamentary Party. He’s managed it with an amalgam of wit, charm, bombast, iron discipline and message repetition: ‘Deliver Brexit, Unite our Party and Defeat Corbyn’. Boris’s speech to the party faithful shortly after the result was vintage stuff, in essence, not like that of a career politician and all the more attractive for that: irreverent, witty, serious and portentous in the space of a few minutes. My former colleagues should carefully ponder their next steps. The cumulative power of the party whip, of local reselection meetings and local party members who are no longer prepared to be patronised or abused, as well as the political patronage of a new occupant of No 10, will turn the pointless and infantile Remain resistance to dust. They may not care about a career in the Commons but how does ushering in a Marxist government under Corbyn look on the post Parliament CV? If they are wise, they will be gracious enough to wish Boris Johnson well, to recognise his fair and hard fought for mandate, to help get a new and enhanced deal in the EU and to come together to fight and defeat the existential threat of a far left Labour government. The war is over. Time to get real. Time to sue for peace. – Stewart Jackson for the Telegraph (£) Madsen Pirie: Our pro-Remain electoral watchdog should be abolished You might think that if we appointed a panel of the great and the good to oversee the integrity of elections the result would be to ensure transparent and fair electoral practice. You would be wrong. From its treatment of the Brexit campaigner Darren Grimes to the unprofessional backing of Remain by its leaders, the Electoral Commission has shown unacceptable and frankly unbelievable bias. Nearly half of its members have backed a second Brexit referendum while its chairman, Sir John Holmes, complained that “the Brexit campaign was a panoply of Eurosceptic nonsense”. This is not the language we expect from an impartial body. It refused to investigate claims that “Britain Stronger in Europe” channelled more than £1 million into last-minute pro-Remain activity, saying that the allegations “did not meet their threshold”. Yet it did pursue alleged Russian involvement in contributions by Arron Banks to pro-Leave campaigning. The commission allowed the government to spend £9 million distributing a leaflet to every home putting the case for Remain without counting it towards campaign expenditure. Yet it relentlessly pursued Mr Grimes, a student who ran the youth-focused BeLeave campaign from his bedroom, fining him the maximum £20,000 and reporting him to the police. All he had done was tick a box wrongly on a cumbersome and impenetrable form. The commission spent hundreds of thousands of pounds of taxpayers’ money before the case even reached court. At the appeal the judge exonerated Mr Grimes and criticised the commission’s inept handling of the case: not the first time a judge had highlighted its lack of knowledge or understanding of the law. The problem is that those making up this body live in an urban bubble and barely encounter those who do not share their fashionable view that the EU is the future. – Madsen Pirie for The Times (£) Brexit in Brief Even Remainers should admit there’s a certain justice in Boris Johnson becoming PM – Michael Deacon for the Telegraph (£) Anger at ‘wave of anti-Brexit interviews’ as Blair and Brown get more airtime – Express Leave campaign staff will bolster Boris Johnson’s loyal advisers heading for No 10 – The Times (£) Electoral Commission grilled over Darren Grimes cock-up – Guido Fawkes