Britain can look forward to a decade of “prosperity and opportunity” ahead as it finally ends the “rancour and uncertainty” of Brexit, Boris Johnson has said.
In his New Year message, the Prime Minister said that with the UK set to leave the EU on January 31, the Government could look to address other priorities.
“As we say goodbye to 2019 we can also turn the page on the division, rancour and uncertainty which has dominated public life and held us back for far too long,” he said.
“We can start a new chapter in the history of our country, in which we come together and move forward united, unleashing the enormous potential of the British people.”
First item on his agenda
Mr Johnson, who is spending New Year with his girlfriend Carrie Symonds on the private island of Mustique in the Caribbean, said the “first item” on his agenda remained his commitment to take Britain out of the EU by the end of January.
At the same time, he said that he was determined to be a “prime minister for everyone”, including the millions who backed Remain or did not vote Conservative in the general election.
“If you are one of them, I want to reassure you that I will be a prime minister for everyone, not just those who voted for me,” he said.
“I know that you love this country no less, simply because you voted for another party or wanted to Remain.
“More than that, I want to work with you, as friends and equals, as we build the future this United Kingdom deserves.
“So let’s together make the 2020s a decade of prosperity and opportunity.”
People’s priorities
Mr Johnson said that leaving the EU would enable the Government finally to focus on the “people’s priorities” – including the NHS.
“The loudest message I heard during the election campaign is that people expect us – expect me – to protect and improve the NHS,” he said.
“The NHS is a wonderful British invention, there for us and our families when we are ill, whatever our background and regardless of ability to pay. So the NHS will always be my top priority.”
The Prime Minister said that he was also determined to make the UK “the best place on Earth” for “quality education and cutting-edge science”.
“Our vision is clear: to unite and level up across the whole United Kingdom – spreading opportunity more fairly – with better infrastructure, superb education and high technology,” he said.
There are around 180K UK pensioner citizens who live in the EU who do not know what their healthcare provision will be after the UK finally get to leave the EU. We left the UK, some 20 years ago, within all remit of the law and settled in the EU under the prescribed conditions… and before that we paid out NI and Taxes into the coffers of the UK Gov. We were told our pensions and healthcare would be guaranteed when we moved to the EU… now you tell us this is uncertain and may change so… Mr Johnson and Mr Hancock what will you offer us if 180K of us return to the UK nest year needing accommodation some of it disabled friendly. Many of us need help with our everyday living and ongoing medical care… we need oncology, rhumatology, hip and knee replacement, physiotherapy and all manner of treatments for age related conditions. Some of us have Parkinson’s or dementia or are immobile or incontinent. We need home care, social workers, day centres and residential or nursing homes… Blue badges and motobility… So Mr Hancock or Mr Johnson will you confirm this will all be available when we return? and advise us who we should contact regarding accessing such services – some of us do not have IT skills or mobile phones so please include a paper trail… and as some have been away from the UK for more that 15 years no longer have a home MP… We have not seen how this essential part of brexit is to be financed and understand that your governments own figures show that the cost of supporting such care within the EU costs little over half of what it will in the UK… but we trust you have thought this through and have the matter in hand and have set aside sufficient funds to support your citizens.
but only for the rich