Asked about the shape of the new government, former cabinet secretary Lord Gus O'Donnell says leaks have suggested the Department for International Development might be folded into the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, but thinks there will still be two separate cabinet ministers.
He adds that Boris Johnson could use money in ways that aren't normally counted as aid, such as climate change.
"There's possibilities for him, and that's where he needs to sit down and, I'd say, not rush into sorting out a cabinet yet, and think about the machinery of government that will work for what he wants to do," Lord O'Donnell adds.
"I'm hoping he'll wait [to form cabinet] because he's got to sort out, with a bigger majority, the kind of Brexit deal he can do.
"He's got more options open and I would say delivering a softer Brexit helps him with Northern Ireland and Scotland... a no-deal Brexit would be really bad for Northern Ireland and Scotland. Particularly bad for Northern Ireland, and I think he'll be be more aware of that now with these results."
He adds, however, that a no-deal Brexit has become "even less likely" now.
daLok1nho on December 12nd, 2019 at 22:25 UTC »
"No luck catching them labor voters then?"
"Well, it's just the one labor voter actually."
unlinkeds on December 12nd, 2019 at 22:18 UTC »
Exit poll prediction is for the worst labour result (by seats) since 1935.
jakub70 on December 12nd, 2019 at 22:06 UTC »
That's not a majority, that's a wipe out