Boris Johnson is foreign secretary

[creighton]

is Theresa May being unreasonable?

bakeoff the terms 'rope' and 'hang' come to mind wrt Jeremy Hunt. What May is essentially doing in this reshuffle is bullet-proofing herself. I work in government so I'd like to think I know a thing or two about this. She has to put some staunch Leavers in prominent positions and she has to change government to her own standards, in other words, though she won't call a general election she wants to make her government seem appear as though it has a mandate. She doesn't want to continue a Cameron legacy.

redhare ... working in government ... can you maybe give a few pointers as to why she put Johnson in Foreign Secretary's position?

Ok, putting him in the role of Secretary for Brexit or International Trade affairs would be worse. But it's two fingers up at the rest of the world and this really doesn't seem the time.

I genuinely cannot see why the need to neutralize him (if indeed he can be neutralized!) overrides the need for some courtesy and a modicum of tact for the rest of the world.

Sideline him from the UK influence yes, but setting him loose to represent the UK in the world ... there must be some reason, but what is it? Have you any idea (and can say?)

Perhaps it's actually a noble act to make damn sure that Americans realise what a bad idea Trump would be?

Has boris said anything to the media yet about his appointment?

SeaEagle I happen to think he'd be better suited to Secretary for Brexit. Thing is Boris has done very well for himself by acting the injured party when the whole Gove thing happened. Theresa was always a leaver but stayed a remainer in the event remain won and she'd have to continue in Cameron's government. You must remember that our previous government never for a second thought Leave would win. Now that they have everyone's been thrown sideways. May's thinking is to protect herself first and foremost. May doesn't have a mandate to run the country - Cameron did but May doesn't. May will now try to execute the 'will' of the people i.e. the 52%. This talk of Brexit means Brexit. She will play to the masses. Keeping Boris means a few things; he will become the face of international diplomacy as we're leaving and thus the buck stops with him - if he fucks up he'll render himself unelectable thus cannot enter parliament again with good grace. Being mayor of London was a fun gig but not quite a similar test as being the face of the UK on an international stage. Her thinking is that it'll go one of two ways. We're already receiving reports of what the world thinks of Boris' new role. He is a divisive character and May loves that. Now that we're leaving, May wants to go out with a bang, regardless of where that'll leave us in practical terms, she wants an overhaul of the whole thing.

Boris should apologise to the following countries (for the insults by him).
Uganda
China
France
USA

And to the ethnic minorities in London- for calling them Picaninis.

Didn't he manage to offend Arabs and Arab women - something about them all wearing M&S pants?

Ah yes, here we go dohanews.co/tag/boris-johnson/

May wants to go out with a bang, regardless of where that'll leave us in practical terms, she wants an overhaul of the whole thing

hm, that makes sense if she's not thinking of the practical effects and mainly of protecting herself. I thought she might be thinking beyond that.

I can really see why she'd hand him this role in that case. Hoped that she would be balancing the whole thing - relations with the rest of the world (since we do have to deal with them!) and the home needs. Good-ish relationships with the rest of the world seem in Britain's interests. Specially right now.