Boris Johnson told the cabinet they had "a momentous task ahead", as he repeated his commitment for the UK to leave the EU on 31 October.

On Wednesday, Mr Johnson gave key roles to leading Brexiteers.

The appointments saw Sajid Javid as chancellor, and Dominic Raab and Priti Patel return to government.

Mr Raab was made foreign secretary and Ms Patel is home secretary.

More than half of Theresa May's old cabinet, including leadership rival Jeremy Hunt, quit or were sacked.

BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg said there were whispers there could be a big offer for European citizens coming out of cabinet this morning.

Boris Johnson’s elevation to prime minister has been greeted with mixed reaction internationally; while the praise has been enthusiastic from some quarters, including Donald Trump and far-right world leaders, it has been less than overwhelming from some of his European counterparts.

After Trump had offered his hearty congratulations , newspapers in the US were far less effusive.

The Washington Post said Johnson was “known for improvisation, inattention to detail and frequent false statements”. While it noted the similarities between Trump and Johnson, it said the new British PM had “mostly avoided Mr Trump’s hateful appeals to racism and ugly disparagement of opponents” offering an “upbeat vision”.

The New York Times editorial said “Johnson is about to collide with reality”, who has thrived on theatrics. Wednesday’s front page described him as an “agitator with an ally in Trump” and said he faces “Brexit strife and Iran unease”.

It’s editorial said while Johnson was a “master of political theatre … his record as journalist, legislator, London mayor and foreign secretary displays far more bluster than achievement, and a disdain for hard work, probity or the truth”.