The Week Junior UK - Issue 189, 27 July 2019

The Week Junior•27 July 2019

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B

oris Johnson has won theConservativeParty

leadership election, making him the next UK

Prime Minister.HebeatfellowConservative Member

of Parliament (MP) Jeremy Hunt, taking 66% of the

votescast by members of theConservativeParty.

As theConservativeParty is currently in power,

whoever leads it is the Prime Minister.

Why is thereanew Prime Minister?

On 24 May,the then Prime Minister Theresa May

resigned as the leader of theConservativeParty,

sparkingacontest toreplaceher.She stood down

because shecouldn’t get enough support for her

Brexit deal. Brexit is the term for the UK’sdecision to

leave the European Union (EU)–anorganisation of

28 countries that trade together and follow the same

rules. May hadreachedadealwith the EU,known as

the Withdrawal Agreement, over how Brexit would

work. However,MPs re jected this deal three times.

Who is Boris Johnson?

Johnson is perhaps best known for beingLondon’s

mayor during the 2012 Olympics, having already

served as an MP between 2001–2008. In 2015, he

returned toParliament,campaigning for Brexit in

a2016 public vote to decide whether or not the

UK shouldremain in the EU.When May became

Prime Minister,Johnson joined the Cabinet (the

Government’stop officials) asForeign Secretary.He

stepped down in July 2018 because he disagreed

with May’sapproach to Brexit. He has wonfans with

his entertaining and dramatic speeches, but some

critics say he doesn’t pay enough attention to detail.

How did MPs react to Johnson’s victory?

Morethan half ofConservative MPssupported

Johnson inearlier rounds of voting held among

politicians. However,some MPswho worked in

May’sgovernment have said they won’t work with

Johnson as Prime Minister.This is because they do

not want the UK to leave the EU withoutadealin

placebetween the two sides. Johnson has said Brexit

must happen by 31 October,regardless of whether or

not thereisadeal, and hasn’t ruled out proroguing

(shutting down)Parliament to makethis happen.

WORD WEEK

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ESTIVATE

THEWEEKINHISTORY

On 28 July 1540, King Henry VIII of England married

his fifth wife, Catherine Howard. Howardwas the

maid to Henry VIII’sfourth wife, Anne of Cleves.

Henry VIII ended his marriage with Anne 19 days

beforemarrying Howard. The weddingwaskept

private and Howardwas not publicly announced as

Queen until8August 1540.Fourteen months after

the wedding, Henry VIII found out that Howardhad

been inrelationships beforetheir marriage and on

13 February 1542, shewasbeheaded.

28 July 1540

King Henry VIII’s fifth marriage

JohnsonisnewPrimeMinister

TheConservativePartywasn’t

the only political party to hold a

leadership election this summer.

The Liberal Democrats, currently

thefourth largest party in

Parliament with 12 Members

ofParliament, also picked a

new leader.On22July,itwas

announced that JoSwinson

had beaten herfellow Liberal

Democrat, Sir Ed Davey.She is

the party’sfirstfemale leader

and willreplaceSir VinceCable.

Boris Johnson Lib Dem leader elected

Jo Swinson

Catherine Howard

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