Gleeful Boris Johnson tells his 109 new Tory MPs they have 18 months to repay voters who helped them smash Labour
BORIS Johnson told his 109 new MPs they have 18 months to repay the first-time Tory voters who helped them smash Labour.
The PM congratulated his new army and said he was “in awe” of their achievement - before laying out a mission statement that ordered them to "work flat out".
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In a rousing Westminster address, he said it had “not been easy” for life-long Labour voters in the North to change the loyalties to the Tories.
But added that they had “not only changed the political map of this country but you’ve changed our party for the better”.
He warned his MPs: "Time is a wasting asset. The future of this government will be set in the first 18 months. We have got to get it right now. It is vital that we get off on the right foot."
Standing in front of the newbies at Westminster Hall in Parliament, Boris was seen chuckling after Bosworth MP Dr Luke Evans shouted: “Merry Brexmas.”
The PM replied: “That is what we’re going to do, flat out — after Christmas.”
Time is a wasting asset. The future of this government will be set in the first 18 months. We have got to get it right now. It is vital that we get off on the right foot.
Boris Johnson
Testing his new MPs on one of his favourite campaign mantras, Mr Johnson asked them what culinary characteristic would describe his Brexit deal? They replied in unison: “Oven ready.”
Boris said: “Thank you very much for all your incredible achievement.
“You’ve come from every part of the United Kingdom, haven't you? You’ve come from places that the Conservative Party has not been represented in for 100 years.
"It’s a fantastic tribute to you and also shows what we have to do now, because you have not only changed the political map of this country but you’ve changed our party for the better.”
In a reference to the in the North, the Midlands and Wales, the Prime Minister joked that Redcar constituency was now Bluecar.
'CHANGED THE POLITICAL MAP'
He told his victorious MPs: “I’m absolutely in awe of what you and we have collectively done. But there is more to do because we have work to do. We are getting on with delivering how many new hospitals?”
His MPs then cried back, “Forty”. Boris added: “How many more nurses?” The MPs cried back in unison, “50,000.”
Mr Johnson also carried out a mini Cabinet reshuffle yesterday to replace the small number of MPs lost from the Government during the election.
Simon Hart, who represents Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire, was elevated to the PM’s top table as Welsh Secretary.
He replaces Alun Cairns, who was forced to resign from the Government over a scandal about a rape trial in November.
Former Tory MP Zac Goldsmith, who lost his seat of Richmond Park to the Lib Dems, was last night expected to be given a peerage to continue his job attending Cabinet as environment minister.
Eight of the new Tory MPs are under 30, including Sarah Britcliffe, who is the youngest at just 24. She represents the Lancashire seat of Hyndburn
The new intake took pictures of themselves travelling to London yesterday, including the representatives from the North East.
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Dehenna Davison, Matt Vickers, Peter Gibson, Paul Howell and Jacob Young gave the thumbs up as they arrived by train.
All of the newbies had five hours of induction and training in the Commons ahead of Parliament officially opening at 2.30pm today — when they will be sworn in.
Newcastle-under-Lyme MP Aaron Bell mocked former Labour PM Tony Blair’s mantra as he arrived in Westminster, tweeting a selfie with the words: “A new dawn has broken, has it not?”
The Sun Says
BORIS Johnson is right to repay his new voters in ex-Labour seats — but he must not overlook winning back millennials.
Many will scoff at that. It seems so long since young people backed the Tories in numbers.
But it’s not. In 2010 the Tories split 18-24s evenly with Labour, and beat them among 25-34s.
In 2015 they split the 25-34s — though Labour began to dominate the 18-24s who found Ed Miliband’s 1970s socialism new and sexy. Last week Labour was miles ahead in both brackets.
For years leftie teachers and lecturers have hammered home the mantra that Tories are wicked while Labour “care”. Last week a Cardiff University journalism lecturer branded Tory voters, some of them his students, “vermin”.
Social media further radicalises millennials to view politics as a binary war between Labour Remainer goodies and despicable Tory Brexit baddies.
Some of this will change naturally. Brexit will become normal. Voters will see Boris is nothing like Labour’s hard-right caricature. But it won’t be enough.
Some young people gravitate to the centre or right once they begin to grasp the complexities of adult life and, well, basic economics.
Owning a home and having kids focuses the mind too. But that won’t be an option if property remains unaffordable.
Boris CAN turn round a corrosive and infantile leftie culture which equates voting Tory with torturing babies.
But he must build millions of affordable homes and radically improve renters’ lot.
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