º£½ÇÊÓÆµ

Oops.

Our website is temporarily unavailable in your location.

We are working hard to get it back online.

PRIVACY
Economic Development

Boris Johnson named new Tory leader: West Midlands reaction

Business leaders and academics in the region have been reacting to the news that Boris Johnson has won a landslide vote and it set to become the new º£½ÇÊÓÆµ Prime Minister

Business leaders and academics from the West Midlands have been reacting to the appointment of Boris Johnson as the  Tory leader and the º£½ÇÊÓÆµ's next Prime Minister.

Mr Johnson will take up the post tomorrow when incumbent Theresa May officially stands down and begin the task of unravelling Brexit and a whole host of other issues affecting the business community.

He has won an overwhelming mandate from the Conversative Party, securing almost 2-for-1 in favour, with 92,153 votes compared to Jeremy Hunt's 46,656.

Here, we gauge the thoughts of key figures in the West Midlands on what could happen next and what they would like to see from the new Prime Minister.

Boris Johnson's appointment could be an unexpected catalyst for a second referendum, says 'Brexit Professor' Alex de Ruyter, director of Birmingham City University's Centre for Brexit Studies.

 

Mr Johnson has long been an advocate of a hard Brexit but, faced with a 'hostile' Parliament and dwindling polling support for the Conservatives, Professor de Ruyter said he could find himself forced down the route of another referendum.

"Prime Minister Johnson's first actions on Brexit are likely to be a whistle-stop tour of Brussels, Dublin, Berlin and Paris to try to garner support for reopening the Withdrawal Agreement and neutering provisions relating to the Northern Ireland backstop," he said.