Boris Johnson appointed British foreign minister by Theresa May
Former London mayor Boris Johnson has been appointed as the British foreign minister by the country's new Prime Minister Theresa May.
Johnson was a leading figure in the victorious "Leave" campaign in Britain's European Union membership referendum last month.
Johnson is replacing Philip Hammond, becoming Chancellor of the Exchequer and replacing George Osborne who was sacked.
Michael Fallon is the cabinet's defence secretary and ex-Energy Secretary Amber Rudd has been appointed home secretary.
The new appointments in May’s cabinet are expected to be made during the evening of Thursday.
Johnson's role in Britain's negotiations over its future relationship with the EU is likely to be limited as May appointed David Davis to lead Brexit negotiations as the newly-created Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union.
Instead he will be responsible for Britain’s relations outside Europe and will be responsible for seeking new trade deals with countries such as China and India.
Former PM David Cameron stepped down after Britons rejected his entreaties to stay in the EU last month with a decision to get out that severely undermines European efforts to forge greater unity.
May was Britain's former interior minister and accepted the resignation of Cameron becoming Britain’s second-ever female prime minister after being appointed by Queen Elizabeth II.
The 59-year-old is promising to champion social justice and rise to the challenge of leading the country out of the European Union.
"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.
May must now try to limit the damage to British trade and investment as she renegotiates the country's ties with its 27 EU partners.
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.
"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 declared.
Shortly afterwards, her office announced that Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond would become Finance Minister, replacing George Osborne whose determination to balance Britain's books made him synonymous with austerity.
She spoke of the "precious bond" between the nations of the UK, implicit recognition of the tensions generated by the referendum in which England and Wales chose to quit the EU, but Scotland and Northern Ireland voted to stay, raising the possibility of a new Scottish vote on independence.
