Boris Johnson takes over as British PM; Theresa May says new govt's success 'will be country's success'

Theresa May on Wednesday formally resigned as the British prime minister, and Boris Johnson has now been formally appointed to the post. Johnson left Buckingham Palace after being appointed by Queen Elizabeth II. The palace confirmed that Johnson had been appointed “as Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury,” another of the British leader’s titles. [caption id=“attachment_7051921” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Boris Johnson meeting Queen Elizabeth II on Wednesday. Twitter/@RoyalFamily[/caption] He visited the palace to meet with the monarch on Wednesday after predecessor Theresa May resigned, failing to secure parliamentary approval for her deal to leave the European Union. Earlier, there was a brief period of time before Johnson was formally appointed as prime minister where no one is in charge, as reported by The Guardian.  May was applauded as she made her farewell speech on the steps of 10 Downing Street in London on Wednesday just before she was driven down to Buckingham Palace to formally submit her resignation to Queen Elizabeth II. The 62-year-old outgoing British prime minister spoke of the “heavy honour” of having served as Prime Minister of the UK and wished her successor, Boris Johnson, the best in his endeavour to see the country through the crucial challenge of leaving the European Union (EU). “Their successes will be our country’s successes,” she said of Johnson and her other future successors in the post of British prime minister. “Brexit must be finished in a way that works for the whole of the UK. Then Britain can move to a bright future,” she said, in her final speech at Downing Street. Johnson, who is the 14th British prime minister to serve under Queen Elizabeth II, was briefly delayed after climate protesters formed a human chain in front of his motorcade.

BREAKING: we just tried to hand the incoming PM a crucial letter - it contains the answers to tackling the Climate Emergency. But will he *act*? #BorisJohnsonPM #ClimateEmergency

Sign the petition to demand #ClimateAction: https://t.co/krnIPqT0jq pic.twitter.com/XZMFjawPIz

— Greenpeace UK (@GreenpeaceUK) July 24, 2019

Earlier in the day, both Finance minister Philip Hammond and Justice Secretary and Lord Chancellor David Gauke resigned from their respective posts. With inputs from agencies