Boris Johnson’s plan to transform Britain

Boris Johnson will remake cabinet, cut civil servant numbers and create a department to negotiate a free-trade deal with Australia.

Boris Johnson celebrates in the seat of Sedgefield, a former Labour bastion once held by Tony Blair. Picture: Getty Images

Boris Johnson will transform the British government with a cabinet clear-out, cuts to civil servant numbers and the creation of a new department to negotiate a free-trade deal with Australia.

Vowing to give Britain “its mojo back” after last week’s huge win in the general election, the Prime Minister has foreshadowed that the trade arrangement with Australia is the first deal to be negotiated once Britain leaves the EU on January 31.

After Brexit, Britain can formalise talks with countries outside the EU, including Australia, the US and Japan.

Tory officials say by fast tracking non-EU trade deals, it will strengthen the Britain’s hand in negotiations with the EU that could become sticky towards the middle of the year over issues such as fishing rights and alignment with the bloc’s rules.

The EU talks on the future relationship are due to end on December 31 next year and if there is no agreement, the UK will revert to using World Trade Organisation rules for European trade.

Downing Street sources have dismissed suggestions from the continent that Mr Johnson might soften his Brexit position and ­realign with EU trading rules because his 80-strong majority after the election loosens his dependence on arch-Brexiteer MPs.

Mr Johnson is to make small cabinet changes on Monday to adjust for three ministers who had stood down or lost their seats, with a major reshuffle in February.

On Thursday, the Queen will deliver Mr Johnson’s plans, including a law to spend £40bn ($77.5bn) on the National Health Service and £78bn on transport infrastructure, particularly in the north of England, where life-long Labour voters switched in droves to support the Conservatives.

Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn leaves his home in north London. Picture: PA

In his early speeches, Mr Johnson has pledged to reward those northerners who had broken the voting habits of generations to lend their vote to him.

Adopting a centrist tone used by New Labour in the Tony Blair years, and in Mr Blair’s old seat in Sedgefield, Mr Johnson said: “Everything that we do, everything that I do as your Prime Minister, will be devoted to repaying that trust.

“We are the servants now and our job is to serve the people of this country and deliver on our prio­rities,” he said. “And our priorities and their priorities are the same.”

Hours after his victory speech on Friday, Mr Johnson called in cabinet secretary Mark Sedwill and other top civil servants to tell them of planned changes. As soon as Brexit has occurred on January 31, the Brexit Department will be abolished and future EU negoti­ations will be held by the cabinet office and international trade.

A new borders and immigration department — using the Australian points system — will be created. The Foreign Office will incorporate the Department for International Development so foreign policy goals are matched with Britain’s generous aid budget.

That is the prelude to a wholesale clear out in February, when Mr Johnson will unveil the team he hopes will transform Britain and cement the Tories’ chances of winning an unprecedented fifth term in 2024.

Insiders say new ministers will be selected based on their expertise and ability to drive change.

A senior figure said: “It will be pretty big. It will be finding the people who can do the jobs and not worry about media and short-term things. We’re drawing up a very detailed and very revolutionary plan and then we are going to ­implement it.”

Another senior government source said: “There will be a cabinet to get Brexit done and then there will be a cabinet to drive through Boris’s agenda to reshape the country. He will use the time between to work out what he wants and who he wants.”

Among Mr Johnson’s three priorities for the next five years will be to convince northern voters to stay with the Tories. The first priority will be throwing the “kitchen sink” at the National Health Service so it will be “impossible” for Labour to use the issue to beat the government at the next election.

Next will be transforming the economy of Britain outside London so that northern voters will benefit from hi-tech jobs.

Third will be the launch of rec­ord numbers of infrastructure projects, likely to be dubbed Boris bridges.

A senior government source said: “We need a radical reform of the machinery to ensure that it’s ready to deliver a transformative government. We need to shift our focus and start delivering for ­people outside home counties.”

In addition to the NHS spending lock, the Queen’s speech will include bills to make terrorists serve their full sentence, provide a better service to commuters and better protection for renters and stop local authorities boycotting products from other countries such as Israel.

New rules on senior civil servants will ensure it is easier to recruit external experts from business and other sectors to serve alongside career mandarins.

A senior source said: “There will be a lot of changes to the system — hiring, firing and training. We’ve got to shake up people, shake up structures, shake up management, shake up No 10.

“We have to get the right ­people in the right jobs across the board. People want change, and we’ve got to deliver.”

Additional reporting: The Sunday Times