David Davis named UK Brexit Secretary in Theresa May cabinet

Britain’s new Prime Minister Theresa May has appointed former special forces soldier and Europe minister David Davis to the new cabinet position of  Secretary of State for Leaving the European Union or Brexit Secretary.

The veteran Eurosceptic MP was among the first appointments in May’s cabinet unveiled right after she became the country’s Prime Minister on Wednesday.

Davis, who was a "Leave" campaigner in the EU referendum, is in charge of leading the negotiations on Britain’s exit from the EU.

He served as a reservist in the Special Air Service (SAS), which is the British army’s elite special force unit, before joining politics in 1987.

He was Europe minister between 1994 and 1997 when the European issue tore apart the government of former Tory Prime Minister John Major. He also served as shadow home secretary and shadow deputy prime minister between 2003 and 2008.

In 2005, he lost to David Cameron in the final round of the Tory leadership contest and remained on the backbenches while Cameron led the party.

As Cameron announced his resignation on June 24 after the Brexit vote, Davis said he would support major Brexit campaigner Boris Johnson in the leadership race.

“The biggest issue over coming years will be managing Brexit, improving UK trade position, controlling borders and enhancing democracy,” he tweeted last month. 

“That needs vision, optimism, energy and drive – that is why I am backing @BorisJohnson for Conservative leader,” he added.

But after Johnson left the race he switched his support to May.

Not much information has emerged about the new Brexit department, except that May has ordered civil servants to find a building for the new department.

May had a number of telephone conversations with European leaders and pledged to establish “constructive relationships” with them.

French President Francois Hollande discussed the importance of bilateral ties with May and urged her to begin the Brexit negotiations as soon as possible.

May, however, responded that she needed time before triggering Article 50 to establish a two-year negotiation period before leaving the EU.

"On all the phone calls, the prime minister emphasized her commitment to delivering the will of the British people to leave the European Union," May’s spokeswoman said.

"The prime minister explained that we would need some time to prepare for these negotiations and spoke of her hope that these could be conducted in a constructive and positive spirit," she added.

May, 59, has become Britain’s second ever female prime minister after Margaret Thatcher.

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