'I’ll make Britain great again' - New UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson says

On Thursday, newly elected British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson promised that Brexit would make Britain the greatest place on earth, echoing the patriotic rhetoric of U.S. President Donald Trump in a debut speech as prime minister before parliament. 

Johnson has promised to strike a new Brexit divorce deal with the EU and to energise the world’s fifth largest economy after what he casts as the gloom of Theresa May’s premiership. On entering Downing Street on Wednesday, Johnson set the UK up for a showdown with the EU by vowing to negotiate a new divorce deal and threatening that if the bloc refused then he would leave without a deal on October 31. 

“Our mission is to deliver Brexit on Oct. 31 for the purpose of uniting and re-energising our great United Kingdom and making this country the greatest place on earth,” Johnson said. 

He said he was not being hyperbolic as the United Kingdom could be most prosperous economy in Europe by 2050, a feat that would mean drawing far ahead of France and then overtaking Germany. 

Johnson promised British “children and grandchildren will be living longer, happier, healthier, wealthier lives.” His victory has placed an avowed Brexiteer in charge of the British government for the first time since the 2016 EU referendum which shocked the world and roiled financial markets. 

Trump has repeatedly praised Brexit and has advised the United Kingdom to “walk away” if the EU offers a poor deal. While he grew frustrated with former Prime Minister, Theresa May, Mr Trump said this week he liked Mr Johnson. Johnson spiced his pitch to the EU on Thursday by bluntly stating that one of the most hotly contested elements of the Brexit divorce agreement would have to be struck out if there was to be an orderly exit. 

Johnson told parliament the Irish backstop, an insurance policy designed to prevent the return of a hard border between the Irish Republic and Northern Ireland, must be abolished. “It must be clearly understood that the way to the deal goes by way of the abolition of the backstop,” Johnson said.