Did anyone see this one coming?
One of Theresa May’s first acts as Prime Minister was a reshuffle of her Cabinet that saw Boris Johnson become Foreign Secretary.
The former mayor of London was a vocal Brexit campaigner, but somewhat unexpectedly revealed at the last minute that he’d decided not to stand in the Conservative leadership race.
However, thanks to the new PM at No.10, bumbling Boris is back in the political spotlight, and in his new role he’ll be clocking up the air miles, meeting with foreign leaders and generally representing Britain on the global stage.
It’s fair to say more than a few eyebrows have been raised at the news of Boris’s big Cabinet promotion. After all, this is a man who once said of Hilary Clinton, the Democratic Presidential candidate he will presumably be seeing a lot more of from now on: “She’s got dyed blonde hair and pouty lips, and a steely blue stare, like a sadistic nurse in a mental hospital.”
Discussing the growing influence of the world’s most populous country China in his column for the Telegraph back in 2005, he said: “Compared with the old British Empire, and the new American imperium, Chinese cultural influence is virtually nil, and unlikely to increase.”
Oh yeah, and there was that time he rugby tackled a small child during a trip to Japan.
Boris Johnson absolutely floored this ten year old boy with a rugby tackle in Japan!https://t.co/9Vn68b4m7q
— BoyleSports (@BoyleSports) October 15, 2015
Boris Johnson everyone: Britain’s new top diplomat.
Here’s how the news went down in the US.
WATCH: @StateDept Deputy Spokesman @toner_mark react to @BorisJohnson's appointment as Foreign Secretary.https://t.co/7Fu6OW1jSx
— CSPAN (@cspan) July 13, 2016
Sweden’s former Prime Minister Carl Bildt tweeted this.
I wish it was a joke, but I fear it isn't. Exit upon exit. pic.twitter.com/8qmlSkQNRj
— Carl Bildt (@carlbildt) July 13, 2016
And at home, comedian Ricky Gervais had his say…
Phew!
Just when Britain was starting to become a laughing stock around the world,
Boris Johnson is appointed foreign secretary.— Ricky Gervais (@rickygervais) July 13, 2016
I'm beginning to think 2016 is a spoof.
— Ricky Gervais (@rickygervais) July 13, 2016