Allies surprised, angry at British foreign secretary choice

His first trip is likely to be to Brussels next Monday for an EU meeting and that won't be easy, according to Ian Bond of analyst group the Centre for European Reform. "Given the number of countries and foreign leaders that he has insulted in recent months, I think that's going to be quite a difficult meeting."

Ian Bond believes Prime Minister May's political honeymoon is likely to be short. "She can placate those who have voted for Leave' by saying that the UK will not accept EU regulations, will not pay into the budget, and crucially will impose limits on the free movement of labor. And that seems to be the way that she and David Davis are leaning at the moment. But the economic costs of that if we are shut out of the single market will be very high indeed."