Update | Theresa May becomes Prime Minister to oversee Brexit and announces Boris Johnson as Foreign Secretary
Britain’s new prime minister vows her government would not be driven by interests of “privileged few”
Theresa May replaced David Cameron as Britain’s prime minister on Wednesday, assuming responsibility for the monumental task of negotiating a complex divorce from the European Union.
Cameron stepped down after Britons rejected his entreaties and voted to leave the EU in a referendum last month, severely undermining European efforts to forge greater unity and creating economic uncertainty across the now shaky 28-nation bloc.
“We will rise to the challenge. As we leave the European Union we will forge a bold new positive role for ourselves in the world, and we will make Britain a country that works not for a privileged few, but for every one of us,” May said.
In comments addressed to ordinary Britons, she spoke of the ’burning injustice’ suffered by large sections of society: poor people facing shorter life expectancy, blacks treated more harshly by the criminal justice system, women earning less than men, the mentally ill and young people struggling to buy homes.
Acknowledging the struggles faced by many people, May declared: “The government I lead will be driven not be the interests of the privileged few, but by yours. We will do everything we can to give you more control over your lives.”
May appointed David Davis, a former junior foreign minister and strong Brexit advocate, to lead the country’s negotiations for exiting the European Union, her office said in a statement on Wednesday.
