Behind the scenes snaps of Boris Johnson on election night show the hugs, cheers and beers of the Tories’ win
BORIS Johnson took a well-earned break from the limelight yesterday after behind-the-scenes photographs revealed how he jumped for joy and punched the air when he discovered the scale of his victory last week.
The behind-the-scenes snaps give an extraordinary glimpse into how the PM spent the historic night he secured a thumping 80-seat Commons majority - alongside his girlfriend Carrie Symonds and his closest aides in Margaret Thatcher’s old study in No10.
The private shots show the moment he jumped out of his chair, punched the air with both fists and let out a roar when the exit poll landed at 10pm on Thursday night.
In other pictures he throws his hands aloft next to a framed painting of Margaret Thatcher and calmly strokes Ms Symonds’ terrier Dilyn as he watches the action unfold on TV.
Boris is also snapped celebrating with all of his staff at Tory HQ as he throws up two thumbs up and bellows a cheer into the camera.
Tomorrow he will welcome his 109 Tory MPs to Parliament and will tell them to use the next five years relentlessly delivering on his election pledges to prove the Tories can deliver for working class voters who deserted Labour in their droves.
In the evening they will toast their triumph at a drinks reception in Parliament.
Tory bosses told The Sun they have had to order several more cases of wine for the bash because the win was so much bigger than expected.
The drinks reception for new Tory MPs will take place in a marquee on the Commons Terrace overlooking the Thames.
Senior Tory MP Nigel Evans, an executive member of the ruling 1922 Tory committee of backbench MPs, told The Sun: “I told the chairman Graham Brady to get a few more cases of wine in after Thursday. We needed an extra 50 bottles of wine.”
Boris he will hammer home the responsibility they now have by using Thursday’s Queen’s Speech to unveil a raft of measures designed to repay the first-time Tory voters that handed him last week’s emphatic majority.
On Friday the PM will take the first step of delivering his first priority of ‘getting Brexit done’ by holding the historic Commons vote on his deal.
But last night Tory sources began to reveal the contents of Thursday’s Queen’s Speech, which sets out the Government’s legislative agenda for the next 12 months.
They said it will include radical new laws to finally bring an end 'no-fault evictions,' an effective ban on rail strikes and bar early prison release for terrorists.
More than 11million renters will be protected by the move to repeal section 21 of the Housing Act 1988, which allows landlords to take back properties without needing a reason.
The PM faced a furious backlash after he left the much-needed crackdown on rogue landlords out of his first Queen’s Speech in October.
It will come as part of a bumper package of reforms to help protect the country's renters, including a new transformative scheme to allow tenants to transfer their deposit from one property to another instead of being left skint for weeks while they wait to be reimbursed from their old landlord but have to shell-out for their new property.
Thursday’s Queen’s Speech will also include a new law to stop councils and other public bodies boycotting products from other countries such as Israel.
The Tory manifesto argued that such sanctions had been exploited by Labour-run town halls to pursue its controversial foreign policy and had “undermined community cohesion”.
The policy will cover boycotts of products or divestment from pension funds connected to foreign states.
The BDS (boycott, divestment and sanction) campaign encourages councils to take action against Israel in support of Palestine.
Mr Johnson will also appoint at least two new members to his Cabinet.
Rising star Victoria Atkins is hotly tipped to be named the new Culture Secretary - replacing Nicky Morgan who quit the Commons at the election.
Aides said the PM had yet to make up his mind on the role but dismissed suggestions the ex-Defence Secretary Penny Mordaunt could make a return to the Cabinet. Others in the frame include ex-Sports Minister Tracey Crouch and close Boris ally Nigel Adams.
The vacant Welsh Secretary job is expected to go to Tory MPs Simon Hart or former Wales Secretary David Jones.
But another former Wales Secretary Stephen Crabb is also in the frame. And MPs were also tipping Monmouth MP David Davies, who ran the party’s election campaign in Wales, for the job - pointing out he is a fluent Welsh speaker.
Ousted Tory Cabinet minister Zac Goldsmith could also be replaced, although he didn’t run a department meaning Mr Johnson could trim down the number of seats around his top table.
The PM is expected to hand Mr Goldsmith a place in the Lords to reward his environmental credentials - and could then retain his Cabinet post in the New Year.
Senior Tory MP Nigel Evans said: “There’s huge demand to put Zac Goldsmith in the House of Lords so he can continue with this environmental job.
“I want to see that happen because he’s hugely popular among the party faithful because he’s been doing a great job on the environmental.
“It would also be a great signal that he’s absolutely sincere on climate change.”
Mr Evans also revealed that the 17 Tory MPs on the executive committee of the powerful 1922 committee and the party’s chief whip Mark Spencer held a secret sweepstake on how big the Tory majority would be.
The result will be revealed on Wednesday, with the loser buying the winner a bottle of champagne.
Mr Evans, the Treasurer of the powerful committee, says he is confident of winning having predicted a 100-seat majority.
Summing up what PM’s message will be to his new MPs today, a Number 10 source said last night: “The seismic events on Thursday returned Conservative MPs in Bolsover, in Blythe and in Bishop Auckland to name but a few.
“This election and the new generation of MPs that have resulted from labour towns turning blue will help change our politics for the better.
“The PM has been very clear that we have a responsibility to deliver a better future for our country and that we must repay the public's trust by getting Brexit done.
“That's why the first piece of legislation new MPs will vote on will be the Withdrawal Agreement Bill. By getting Brexit done this One Nation Conservative Government will help this country move forward.
"We will invest in our National Health Service, in our Schools, in creating safer streets, better hospitals and building a better Britain for everyone in this country, regardless of how they voted. Our job is to serve the people of this country, and the People’s government will deliver on the people’s priorities.”
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