Boris must deliver to hold onto No 10

THE election of Boris Johnson as leader of the Conservative Party and his installation as Prime Minister today should mean the resumption of normal business in the UK political world.

It is, after all, little more than three months until the latest Article 50 deadline is due to expire.

Instead, MPs will tomorrow depart on their lengthy summer recess.

Nothing, it seems, must interfere with the time-honoured Westminster calendar.

Not even the prospect of a potentially calamitous no-deal Brexit.

In any other country, this would be seen as dysfunctional, but here it’s accepted as the norm.

Mark Drakeford gave a measured welcome to Boris Johnson, wishing him well and hoping he will be “able to demonstrate the

maturity, strategic thinking and honesty needed to meet the challenges he – and we all – face.”

Clearly there are serious doubts over whether the three qualities mentioned by the First Minister come naturally to Mr Johnson.

His record suggests otherwise – and the likelihood is that Mr Drakeford doesn’t really believe that a leopard can change its spots.

However, the tone of the First Minister’s comment suggests that he has – perhaps reluctantly – decided to cut Mr Johnson a little slack.

He’s not the only one.

Until recently there was talk of a no-confidence motion being moved by Labour for debate barely before the new Prime Minister had returned from Buckingham Palace.

The chance of that has evaporated, mainly it seems because Tory rebels who might vote for such a motion don’t want to be accused of not giving Mr Johnson a fair chance.

His reprieve, however, may not last very long.

His pitch during the party leadership campaign was very much based on his unequivocal promise to get the UK out of the EU by October 31.

Such talk may have won him the prize he has coveted for decades.

But it also means that if he is to hold on to his new job, he will have to deliver on his pledge.

Mr Johnson may be the man of the moment – but achieving what the Tory Brexiteer loyalists who voted for him expect will not be so easy.

We may find out soon whether he possesses the three qualities identified by Mr Drakeford.

If he doesn’t, his time in office will be shorter than he hopes.