New British Prime Minister Theresa May has been slammed online for her decision to appoint former London Mayor and Leave campaigner Boris Johnson as foreign secretary.
Many online suggested the decision by May brought a swift end to a brief period of new hope for the UK, including former Tony Blair aide Alastair Campbell who tweeted: “She started so well, so serious. Then made Boris Johnson Foreign Secretary. Oh dear”.
Johnson’s always-colorful antics left the internet with plenty of good material to make light of an appointment some felt was close to parody.
READ MORE: Boris Johnson appointed UK foreign secretary by new PM Theresa May
Many expressed bafflement over how a man who once described Africans as having “watermelon smiles” and Vladimir Putin as “looking a bit like Dobby the House Elf” could be appointed to a role where diplomacy will be a key skill.
Among the negative reactions and fun-jabbing there were some tweets welcoming the new appointment, including from former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott who described Johnson as “a good friend of Australia.”
For the most part though, supporters of Johnson have been quiet online, possibly in fear of retaliation from singer Cher who reacted passionately to the news of his appointment.