PM Boris wins poll, vows Brexit by Jan

London, December 13

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Election-weary British voters gave Prime Minister Boris Johnson a “powerful new mandate” in the historic poll as his Conservative Party on Friday won a commanding majority in Parliament to allow him to finalise UK’s divorce deal with the European Union next month.

Johnson (55), who vigorously campaigned on a simple slogan “Get Brexit done”, vowed that he would “work night and day” to repay the trust of the voters after the Conservatives’ most emphatic majority since the 1980s under Margaret Thatcher. A 365-seat haul gave the party a solid majority in the 650-strong House of Commons.

Johnson hailed a “new dawn” which “unarguably” broke the Brexit deadlock and vowed not to let down the “sacred trust” placed in him by the voters, who turned out for the first winter election in decades to register a 67-per cent turnout.

Johnson, who won his own seat in London’s Uxbridge and South Ruislip, hailed the Conservative Party’s triumph as a “powerful new mandate” to move forward with his deal to leave the 28-member economic bloc on January 31. Voters gave Johnson the huge mandate so that he can get the UK out of the European Union by January. A perceived anti-India stance since the Labour Party passed an emergency motion calling for international intervention in Kashmir is also likely to have swayed its connect with the Indian diaspora voters.

“It does look as though this one-nation conservative government has been given a powerful new mandate to get Brexit done – and not just to get Brexit done but to unite this country and to take it forward,” he said.

Liberal Democrat leader quits

Jo Swinson, the leader of the UK’s Liberal Democrats, stepped down on Friday after she was ousted from her own seat in Scotland in the general election held a day ago. Swinson lost her East Dunbartonshire constituency to the surging Scottish National Party’s (SNP) Amy Callaghan who prevailed by a margin of just 149 votes. — Agencies

Ready for Brexit trade talks: EU

Brussels: EU leaders said they were ready for the next phase of Brexit, just hours after the victory of Boris Johnson that all but seals Britain’s divorce from the bloc. “My point is very clear, we are ready. We have decided what our priorities are,” said EU President Charles Michel. AFP