Former Mayor of London, Boris Johnson will be the next UK prime minister, beating rival Jeremy Hunt by a clear margin in the race to lead the Conservative Party. Although not in office yet (he assumes that position on Wednesday), Twitter isn’t handling the news well.
“Thank you all for the incredible honour you have done me,” he said in a victory tweet on Tuesday afternoon. “The time for campaigning is over and the time for work begins to unite our country and party, deliver Brexit and defeat [opposition leader Jeremy] Corbyn. I will work flat out to repay your confidence.”
No ad to show here.
“Boris Johnson” is trending worldwide and in South Africa, as users both in the UK and beyond come to grips with the news.
Thank you all for the incredible honour you have done me. The time for campaigning is over and the time for work begins to unite our country and party, deliver Brexit and defeat Corbyn. I will work flat out to repay your confidence
— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) July 23, 2019
Johnson’s US counterpart, Donald Trump, lead the congratulations. “He will be great,” Trump added.
Congratulations to Boris Johnson on becoming the new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He will be great!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 23, 2019
Leader of the Brexit Party Nigel Farage wished Johnson well, but questioned if he has the “courage to deliver” Brexit.
Jeremy Hunt believed that Johnson will be a “great PM for [the UK] at this critical moment”.
I wish @BorisJohnson well as Prime Minister with his do or die pledge to deliver Brexit on October 31st. Does he have the courage to deliver?
— Nigel Farage (@Nigel_Farage) July 23, 2019
Congratulations @BorisJohnson 4 a campaign well https://t.co/b1rmrIHic6'll be a great PM for our country at this critical moment!Throughout campaign you showed optimism,energy & unbounded confidence in our wonderful country & we need that.All best wishes from the entrepreneur 🙂
— Jeremy Hunt (@Jeremy_Hunt) July 23, 2019
Some lamented the fact that the UK prime minister is elected by part members and not the general public.
0.2% of the population voted to make Boris Johnson PM. It’s embarrassing for the Tory party that he was the best they could do, devastating for democracy and horrifying for the country.
— Sandi Toksvig (@sanditoksvig) July 23, 2019
Around 100,000 Tory party members have inflicted on us a prime minister with a record of bigotry, racism, lying and incompetence #BorisJohnson
This is not democracy
This is #NotInOurName
— Caroline Lucas (@CarolineLucas) July 23, 2019
Others, well, were present for the memes, and the obvious comparison between the trans-Atlantic leaders.
“Boris Johnson and Donald Trump planning on ways to destroy the world,” read one tweet.
Boris Johnson and Donald Trump planning on ways to destroy the world. pic.twitter.com/EBEEuWPFG5
— Luenic Luke (@luenic) July 23, 2019
Behold the new axis of weevil.#DonaldTrump #BorisJohnson pic.twitter.com/kRrnzFGmZ1
— Calm Observer (@Calm_Observer) July 23, 2019
I bet Boris Johnson and Donald Trump have the same hairdresser pic.twitter.com/6NbeFrNnCS
— Willie Allen (@WonderWilliee) July 23, 2019
The #Trump Reloaded! Boris Johnson the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. pic.twitter.com/Jih94McdO4
— Amir (@its_amir1) July 23, 2019
BREAKING NEWS: Donald trump and Boris Johnson officially meat for the first time ! pic.twitter.com/hPA8d9RmLy
— Sam
(@ChongSZN) July 23, 2019
donald trump and boris johnson planning on ways to destroy the world pic.twitter.com/VLmHJ1w7Jd
— ibs (@ibrahimaminn) July 23, 2019
While the country copes through humour, there’s a lot of work for Johnson to do when he’s inaugurated tomorrow.
There’s still no solution to the now three-year-old Brexit saga. And a no-deal Brexit could mean a collapse of legislation and trade deals between the UK and the European Union. Well, that, and a lot more.
But spare a thought in particular to the real prime minister of the UK, 10 Downing Street resident Larry The Cat.
Today, we’re all that child#NextPrimeMinister pic.twitter.com/2nyIm5mfaC
— Larry the Cat (@Number10cat) July 23, 2019
Feature image: Boris Johnson in 2009 in New York City, by Think London via Flickr (CC BY 2.0)
