Critics thought Boris Johnson would falter at dispatch box - they were wrong

In a two-and-a-half hour opening Commons appearance, the new prime minister took 129 questions.

By Sam Coates, deputy political editor

Image: Boris Johnson took 129 questions in his opening Commons appearance. Pic: UK Parliament

The world king has now discovered he is merely mortal.
New Prime Minister Boris Johnson was given a small taste of the constraints of power that led his predecessor Theresa May to Brexit failure and showed that sunshine alone cannot win the day. It was an instructive first full day in the job.
In many ways, Thursday showcased what Johnson is good at. Many MPs have at times whispered the former mayor of London might not cut it at the dispatch box.
In a two-and-a-half hour opening Commons appearance, where he took 129 questions, he proved them wrong.

Image: Conservative MPs were positively cheering the pugnacious pose Mr Johnson struck. Pic: UK Parliament

It was a fluent and confident appearance. Opponents may have disliked the contents, but the protagonist looked entirely comfortable at the dispatch box.
Conservative MPs were positively cheering the pugnacious pose Mr Johnson struck - not just with Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, but particularly the way he was challenging SNP arguments for Scottish independence as well. They loved the energy they felt was often missing from Mrs May's weekly bouts.
This was a prime minister in campaign mode. He may have won the Tory leadership by a margin of 2-1 among the membership, but he wasn't about to give up the fight. There are plenty of hearts and minds to be won over, even without an election which few deny is a possibility in the autumn, though far from a certainty.
While there was a lot of heat, sometimes it was lacking light. Mr Johnson rarely engaged with questions he did not like, attacking opponents and rounding on pessimists.
Mr Corbyn's questions about the death penalty, the Huawei leak row that led to the departure of then defence secretary Gavin Williamson, and his demand to know the cost of big-ticket policy announcements were shamelessly ignored.
The most telling moment of the day came over immigration. Despite the strongest of hints from across Whitehall that Mr Johnson will ditch the net migration target, Downing Street refused to confirm it outright - suggesting some political timidity somewhere in the system.

 

PM and Corbyn argue over backstop

Meanwhile, Mr Johnson promised to enshrine the rights of EU citizens in the UK in the event of a no-deal Brexit. This was cheered by Tory MP Alberto Costa, who has run a three-year campaign on the issue.
Hours later, it emerged that this guarantee would be verbal, not legislative - something that Mr Costa says breaks Mr Johnson's promise and could fail to guarantee rights for Britons in countries like Spain. Downing Street said they had done enough for EU citizens already with the settled status scheme.

 

Behind the scenes: PM's first cabinet

The truth is that Mr Johnson could not afford a piece of immigration legislation before Brexit day, since the lack of Tory majority means it could be hijacked for other purposes. Mr Costa went away for the summer recess visibly disappointed and vowing to pursue the issue further with Mr Johnson and Home Secretary Priti Patel.
In truth, Mr Johnson faces the three constraints Mrs May did: lack of majority, lack of money and resistance to renegotiation on Brexit in Brussels.
The prime minister appears from his opening 24 hours to be mounting a publicity war - online, around the country and in the media - to fight these challenges. By October, he might find he needed something stronger.