New UK PM Boris Johnson Blasts Brexit Foes, Forms Cabinet

With 99 days to go before Brexit, newly installed prime minister Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson -- who late night TV host Stephen Colbert jokingly said "looks like a failed clone of Donald Trump" -- decided to slam his political opponents in his first statement as British leader.

Standing at the entrance to 10 Downing Street on Tuesday, Johnson flayed the “doubters, doomsters and gloomsters” who don’t believe the United Kingdom can achieve a worthwhile Brexit. He said they would soon be proved wrong.

“The people who bet against Britain are going to lose their shirts,” said Johnson.

He also said his team would “do a new deal, a better deal” and “maximize the benefits of Brexit.”

Johnson reaffirmed he doesn't want a “No Deal” Brexit, but the U.K. will need to fully prepare for this possibility.

Johnson was one of the leaders of the "Leave" the European Union (EU) campaign that led to Brexit following a referendum on June 23, 2016. About 52 percent of British voters voted to leave the EU.

Johnson's efforts to avoid a No Deal Brexit might be undone by the vexed question of the “Irish backstop” that defeated former prime minister Theresa May and contributed to her downfall.

The backstop is a provision that no hard border will be built on the independent state of the Republic of Ireland once Northern Ireland (a component of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) leaves the EU.

An American citizen by birth, Johnson began his term as prime minister by assembling a team consisting of hard-line Brexiteers like himself and experienced holdovers from May's cabinet.

Surprisingly, Johnson choice for chancellor is Sajid Javid, the son of Pakistani immigrants and May’s first home secretary. Javid replaces Philip Hammond, who said he wants no role in the Johnson cabinet.

During the campaign for leadership of the Conservative Party, Javid said Johnson is “yesterday’s news.” He also touted himself as a new kind of leader better able to connect the Tories (who are much like the Republican Party in principle) to modern Britain.

“I’d say I’m a change candidate. Boris Johnson is yesterday’s news,” said Javid. “He’s been around in politics for a while, he’s achieved a lot, and he’s still got a big role to play.”

Appointed foreign secretary and first secretary of state is the controversial Dominic Raab. The former Brexit secretary, Raab had the best chance outside Johnson of winning the leadership of the Tories (and thus the prime minister’s job) but was rejected by his party mates for not being too hard line Brexit enough.

His pro-business bent can be seen in his proposal to end the minimum wage for Brits under 21 years-old working for small businesses and making it easier for companies to fire underperforming employees. He earned the spite of feminists by saying they’re some of the most obnoxious bigots.