Johnson vows speedy Brexit, to invest more

UK prime minister promises to lead a 'people's government', change party

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson welcomed his newly elected Conservative lawmakers to Parliament on Monday with a message that they have a responsibility to change the party for good.

In a frantic week of business at the House of Commons before the Christmas break, the UK prime minister intends to lay out plans for his Brexit bill, carry out a minor Cabinet reshuffle and present the Queen's Speech, before shifting his focus to reorganizing government departments in the new year.

After winning a commanding majority with 365 seats in last week's election, Johnson will seek to speed up parliamentary approval of his withdrawal agreement with the European Union and to start increasing funding for health, education and policing.

Johnson, who won over many traditional supporters of the main opposition Labour Party in northern and central England, proclaimed he will lead a "people's government" and "repay the public's trust by getting Brexit done".

The prime minister on Monday was scheduled to tell MPs that the government plans to direct billions of pounds of investment into the Midlands and the north of England. Many of the seats Labour lost in the election were in these regions.

A Downing Street source said: "This election and the new generation of MPs that have resulted from Labour towns turning blue will help change our politics for the better.

"The PM has been very clear that we have a responsibility to deliver a better future for our country and that we must repay the public's trust by getting Brexit done."

Meanwhile, a report in The Times claimed Johnson's special adviser Dominic Cummings is expected to press ahead with a radical overhaul of the way the Ministry of Defense spends its money, a move that could place him on a collision course with military chiefs.

Cummings has previously described the ministry's multi-billion-pound procurement spending as "disastrous".

Chief Secretary to the Treasury Rishi Sunak on Sunday remained guarded when pressed on whether the prime minister wants to implement wide changes across government departments.

"People watching will not be interested in the process of government," the Cabinet minister told Sky News.

"What they want to know is that government's going to deliver for them."

Meanwhile, Labour Party leaders Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell have apologized over the party's "catastrophic" defeat in Thursday's election. The leader and shadow chancellor said they would step down in the new year.

Corbyn used two newspaper columns to shoulder some personal responsibility for Labour's worst performance in the polls since 1935, but also pinned the blame on Brexit and the media.

In his letter to the Sunday Mirror, he said: "I will make no bones about it. The result was a body blow for everyone who so desperately needs real change in our country. I'm sorry that we came up short and I take my responsibility for it."

He added that he was "proud" the party had offered a message of "hope" in the election.

The outgoing shadow chancellor John McDonnell told the BBC he was to blame for the "disaster" suffered by the party.

He said: "Let me make it clear: this is on me. It's on me. Let's take it on the chin. I own this disaster so I apologize. I apologize to all those wonderful Labour MPs who lost their seats and worked so hard. I apologize to all our campaigners. But most of all, I apologize to those people who desperately need a Labour Government. And yes, if anyone is to blame it is me. Full stop."