Boris Johnson urges ‘closure’ over Brexit & vows NHS will be top priority so Britain can ‘heal’ after historic poll win

TRIUMPHANT Boris Johnson struck a conciliatory tone by promising today to give the nation "closure" over Brexit after winning a landslide election victory.

Speaking from Downing Street, the Prime Minister said the country can now heal and make the NHS its top priority as the parliamentary deadlock is finally broken.

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Mr Johnson urged "everyone to find closure and to let the healing begin", adding that "the overwhelming priority of the British people is that we should focus, above all, on the NHS".

He added: "We are going to unite and level up... Bringing together the whole of this incredible United Kingdom — England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland together, taking us forward, unleashing the potential of the whole country, delivering opportunity across the entire nation."

Mr Johnson's call to unite the entire nation appeared to be a pointed message to SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon who has demanded the right to hold a second independence referendum.

After the SNP took 48 of the 59 seats in Scotland, the First Minister said she would next week set out a "detailed democratic case" for a transfer of power to Holyrood to enable a referendum to be put "beyond legal challenge".

Latest news:

• Boris Johnson took home a thumping victory, winning an extra 47 seats for the Tories while Labour lost 59 seats - including several key strongholds - to give the Conservatives an 80-seat majority.
• Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has refused to step down after his staggering loss, saying he would remain in power until the "early part of next year"
• Sir Keir Starmer is the favourite to take over as Labour boss - but Jess Phillips threw her hat in the ring and Emily Thornberry also hinted at a run
• The pound surged by more than two per cent on the news of a Tory majority
• Brexit is to come 'soon' after Boris's election win after EU says it's 'ready for next phase'
• Mr Johnson has declared the NHS will be an "overwhelming priority"
• Sore loser demonstrators took to the streets in London to protest the majority vote
• A Queen's Speech is expected to be scheduled for next Thursday with the State Opening of Parliament

Mr Johnson also spoke out directly to people who hadn't voted Tory and wanted to remain in the EU.

He said: "I want you to know that we in this One Nation Conservative government will never ignore your good and positive feelings of warmth and sympathy towards the nations of Europe."

But as well as inviting voters to seek closure, Johnson said we should take a well-earned break from politics.

He said: "After five weeks, frankly, of electioneering, this country deserves a break from wrangling, a break from politics, and a permanent break from talking about Brexit.

"I want everyone to go about their Christmas preparations happy and secure in the knowledge that here, in this people's government, the work is now being stepped up to make 2020 a year of prosperity and growth and hope, and to deliver a parliament that works for the people."

He arrived at Buckingham Palace just before 11am this morning where he met the Queen to receive royal approval to form the next government.

Mr Johnson left the Palace after a meeting which lasted more than 35 minutes, which is longer than expected.

He then returned to whoops and cheers at No10 following his historic election victory.

Boris' snap General Election gamble paid off as he romped home with a majority of 80. St Ives was the last seat to declare just before 3pm today, with the Tories winning an increased majority there.

The ecstatic Tory boss said his "stonking" win has given him a "powerful mandate to get Brexit done" as humiliated Jeremy Corbyn vowed to quit.

Mr Corbyn said he would stand down "in the early part of next year".

The results mean Britain's political chaos could finally be over, leaving Mr Johnson with the numbers to finally push his Brexit deal through Parliament in just weeks.

Mr Johnson was applauded and cheered by supporters as he gave a tub-thumping speech in Westminster just after 7am, following the Tories' best election win since 1983.

Thanking the British people for putting their trust in him, he said in echoes of Tony Blair after his 1997 landslide: "We did it, we pulled it off!

"We broke the deadlock, we smashed the roadblock and a new dawn rises on a new day."

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The PM insisted that "getting Brexit done is the irrefutable, inarguable decision of the British people" after the night's results.

"We will get Brexit done on time, by 31 January, no ifs, no buts, no maybes," he promised.

And the decisive win has "put an end to those miserable threats of a second referendum".

In a stark message to those who have been pushing for a rerun of the 2016 Brexit contest, he said: "That's it. Put a sock in the megaphone."

He joked: "Let's get Brexit done. But first, let's get breakfast done."

Speaking directly to voters in the North and Midlands who helped the Tories overturn more than a dozen seats from Labour, he said he would make it his "mission to work night and day, flat out" to earn their support in the future.

"You may have only lent us your vote," he continued.

"Your hand may have quivered over the ballot paper before you put your cross in the box.

"I am humbled you put your trust in me and in us, and I will never take your support for granted," he promised.

"Your voice has been heard, and about time too."

He vowed to make the NHS his top priority and deliver the funding it needs, before turning his attention to Britain's other issues.

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POLITICAL 'EARTHQUAKE'

In a speech to congratulate activists at CCHQ Boris said the country had given him a "stonking mandate" and the Tories had created a political "earthquake".

He also made a call to SNP's Nicola Sturgeon today - reiterating "his unwavering commitment to strengthening the union".

A Downing Street spokesman also reported that Mr Johnson "made clear how he remained opposed to a second independence referendum".

Mr Johnson also spoke to Ireland's Prime Minister tonight after his landslide victory.

Leo Varadkar congratulated the PM, with the pair agreeing there was "significant opportunity" to restore the good Friday Agreement institutions.

A spokesperson said: "They also discussed how to strengthen the bilateral relationship between Ireland and the UK.

"Both looked forward to the smooth passage of the Withdrawal Agreement."

Mr Johnson's aide Dominic Cummings said this morning: "After the shock of the referendum MPs and journalists should have taken a deep breath and had a lot of self-reflection of why they misunderstood what was going on in the country but instead a lot of people just doubled down on their own ideas and f****d it up even more.

"That's why something like this happens against expectations."

CORBYN CRUSHED

Meanwhile, Mr Corbyn said he will step down as Labour boss before the next election after failing to win a second poll in a row - and taking the party to its worst result in 40 years.

But he refused to say when that would happen, and insisted the party had to have a period of "reflection".

The leftie boss dashed home this morning and wasn't seen addressing activists at their headquarters.

He said as he won his seat in Islington North: "I want to also make it clear that I will not lead the party in any future general election campaign.

"I will discuss with our party to ensure there is a process now of reflection on this result and on the policies that the party will take going forward.

"And I will lead the party during that period to ensure that discussion takes place and we move on into the future."

Despite his humiliating defeat, which was the worst Labour election result since 1935, Corbyn insisted his policies had "huge public support".

He also blamed the media for his electoral disaster, thanking his wife this morning "for all that she puts up with because of the way in which the media behaved towards me, towards her and indeed towards my party during this election campaign".

Unite leader Len McCluskey today was among those to come out swinging at Corbyn – blaming the Labour leader's mess of policies for the landslide loss.

Writing for HuffPost UK, the union's general secretary listed reasons for the party's catastrophic defeat, saying: “Firstly, the incontinent rush of policies which appeared to offer everything to everyone immediately, and thereby strained voter credulity as well as obscuring the party’s sense of priorities.

“Secondly, failure to apologise for anti-Semitism in the party when pressed to do so, capping years of mishandling of this question.”

Labour lost Workington, Darlington and Bishop Auckland to the Tories - some of them turning blue for the very first time.

A whole host of seats went blue across the North as voters backed Mr Johnson to "get Brexit done".

In Wales, where all the results are in, the Tories won 14 seats - their largest haul in the country since 1983 and the highest ever Conservative vote there.

The turnout was 67.3 per cent of registered voters, which is a 1.5 per cent drop on the 2017 general election.

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The SNP have so far picked up 48 seats, and the Lib Dems just 11.

Today's results are even more positive than Boris had been predicted - the last MRP study had just a 28 seat majority for Boris on the cards.

Boris is planning to bring the Brexit bill back to Parliament next week, and have a small reshuffle of his Cabinet too.

Insiders said the mood at CCHQ was "sheer jubilation" and  when the exit poll news broke officials hugged and kissed - and cracked open the drinks.

Ex-Chancellor George Osborne said the victory was down to Labour boss Mr Corbyn.

He told ITV: "Jeremy Corbyn was the handmaiden to a Boris Johnson landslide. It's a complete catastrophe for the left.

"Every Tory I know was cheering when Jeremy Corbyn got elected."

Shadow cabinet minister Barry Gardiner said: "I’m deeply, deeply depressed."

Already Labour MPs started blaming Brexit for the result.

Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell told the BBC: "If it is anything near this it is disappointing."

And he added: "I think Brexit did dominate this election... I think they most probably did want to get it done and that’ll be it.

"I think people on all sides were frustrated, wanted Brexit out of the way and that’s what’s happened."