British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said Thursday that quitting the EU did not mean “leaving Europe”, as he brushed off criticism of his appointment in Prime Minister Theresa May’s new Brexit government.
“On Europe clearly we have to give effect to the will of the people in the referendum, but that does not mean in any sense leaving Europe,” said Johnson, who led the victorious campaign to leave the bloc last month.
May became prime minister late Wednesday after David Cameron stepped down in the wake of the June 23 vote, which sent shockwaves around the world and sparked fears of an economic downturn as Britain potentially closes off its biggest market.
After six years as Cameron’s interior minister, she was viewed as a safe pair of hands to replace him, but began with a ruthless cull of some of her former cabinet colleagues.
She removed long-serving finance minister George Osborne and Brexit campaigner and justice secretary Michael Gove — and stunned onlookers by giving Johnson the diplomatic brief.
The former London mayor is popular in Britain and well-known abroad — not least for a colourful use of language regularly directed at foreigners, including White House hopeful Hillary Clinton and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Speaking to reporters outside the Foreign Office, Johnson shrugged off the idea that his appointment was controversial.
“After a vote like the referendum result on June 23, it’s inevitable that there is going to be a certain amount of plaster coming off the ceilings in the chancelleries of Europe,” Johnson said.
He also dismissed comments by French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault that he had “lied a lot” during the Brexit campaign, saying he had just received a “charming letter” from his French counterpart.
Controversy over Johnson’s appointment overshadowed the first day of May’s premiership, which brings some stability after three tumultuous weeks following the EU vote.
European leaders have pressed her to move quickly in implementing Brexit, amid fears of the damage the continued uncertainty could do to the EU and the world economy.
New finance minister Philip Hammond warned Brexit was having “chilling effects” on the financial markets and said business investment decisions were being put on hold.
The Bank of England on Thursday held off on an anticipated cut in interest rates, keeping them unchanged at 0.50 percent, but signalled a possible cut next month.
The British pound briefly jumped above $1.34, while London’s FTSE 100 index slid after the bank announcement. Frankfurt’s DAX 30 rallied to its highest point since the Brexit vote.
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