OVER TO YOU,

BORIS!

Somethinkit’sfittinghe’stheonewho’ll

have to sort out the Brexit mess. After all,

it’s largely thanks to him that the country

is in this situation, which some experts

believe is unresolvable.

Since the 2016 referendum he’s been

one of the most powerful and vocal Brex-

iteers, even resigning his post as foreign

secretary in 2018 because he refused to

back May’s proposed deal with the EU.

Now he faces the monumental task

of finding a way to do what she failed

to. With the clock ticking and European

leaders saying they won’t negotiate any

further deals, he’s stated he’d be willing

to leave with no deal when the deadline

rolls around on 31 October.

This could mean leading Britain into the

economic wilderness, with no plan on how

the country would do business with the EU,

its biggest trading partner. But it seems

Johnson is willing to do whatever it takes.

“It’s only if we have the guts and the

courage to get ready for no deal that

we’ll carry any conviction in Brussels

and get the deal we need,” he argues.

Aware that MPs will probably vote to

block a no-deal Brexit, he’s threatened

to suspend parliament so he can push

it through.

He’s already showing that he’s willing

H

E’S often been dismissed

as a bit of a joker. Blunder-

ing Boris, the Trump

lookalike with the wild

mop of blond hair, always

putting his foot in it by

saying the wrong thing.

But there was nothing

clownish about Boris Johnson as he

stood outside No 10 Downing Street in

London recently, making his first speech

as British prime minister. Having won a

landslide victory in the Conservative

Party leadership race, he’d just returned

from Buckingham Palace where Queen

Elizabeth had formally asked him to

form a government after the resignation

of his predecessor, Theresa May.

This was the moment he’d been wait-

ing for his entire political career. Andfor

once Johnson (55) was properly p -

pared. There were no ums or hesita

pauses – instead, in a well-craft

11-minute speech, he spelt out exact

what he aims to do.

Of course, right at the top of his list

bringing about Britain’s split from t

European Union (EU), which was

three-year headache for May. Many b

lieve the issue of Brexit will probabl

sink Johnson too – but he had stron

words for these naysayers.

“I’m standing before you today t

tell you that those critics are wron

The doubters, the doomsters, th

gloomsters – they’re going to get i

wrong again. The people who be

against Britain are going to lose thei

shirts,” he said. His girlfriend, Carri

Symonds(31),stoodsmiling as sh

listenedtohimattentively.

Johnsonwasleftred-faced in Jun

whennewsbrokethatpolice had b

calledtoherLondonflatafter the coupe

hadhada blazingrow(YOU, 11 July).

They’veevidentlypatched up their dif-

ferences.It wasreportedthat the pretty

PRspindoctorwaspreparing to move

intoDowningStreetwithJohnson, who’s

intheprocessofdivorcing his second

wife,lawyerMarinaWheeler(55), with

whom he has four children.

But as he stood at the podium out-

side his new home, personal issues

seemed to be the last thing on his mind.

With less than 100 days to the Brexit

deadline the pressure is on.

TICKTOCK

Britain’s oafish new prime minister will have

to curb the bluster, roll up his sleeves and get

onwiththebigtasksahead COMPILED BY JANE VORSTER

Johnson split from his second wife,

Marina Wheeler, last year after his

affair with Carrie came to light.

ABOVE and RIGHT:

Boris Johnson makes

his first speech as

British prime minis-

ter as his girlfriend,

Carrie Symonds (in

the pink dress), lis-

tens attentively.

GALLO IMAGES/GETTY IMAGES, GALLO IMAGES/REUTERS

10 | 8 AUGUST 2019^ you.co.za