May makes a calculated appeal to Brexit as she confirms she will continue as Prime Minister

In her speech outside Downing Street this afternoon, Theresa May confirmed that she intends to stay on as Prime Minister.

“I will now form a government that can provide certainty and lead Britain forward at this uncertain time,” she said to the waiting press pack.

Her speech was notable for containing multiple references to Brexit and last June’s EU referendum, with comparatively few mentions of yesterday’s general election.

The Prime Minister referred to the need for Brexit talks to “deliver on the will of the British people.”

She also referenced the recent terror attacks in Manchester and London, saying that her government “will work to keep our nation safe and secure” following the attacks, “cracking down on the ideology of Islamist extremism and all those who support it.” She suggested that she would bring in new police powers to support this crackdown.

Then, in a turn from the ‘Red Tory’ playbook which failed to win her the majority she had hoped for, May turned to the question of “fairness”.

“We will put fairness and opportunity at the heart of everything we do,” she said, promising to work for people across all parts of the United Kingdom.

Notably, she referred not to the Conservative party, but of the Conservative and Unionist party, a sop to her now-crucial allies, the DUP.

“What the country needs more than anything else is certainty,” she said.

“Only the Conservative and Unionist party has the legitimacy to provide that certainty.”

Citing both the Tories’ vote share and their number of seats as the basis for her government’s legitimacy, May also mentioned the DUP by name, saying “we will continue to work with our friends and allies, in the DUP in particular.”

“This gives me the confidence to believe that we will be able to work together in the interests of the whole United Kingdom.”

“That’s what people voted for last June. That’s what we will deliver.”

“Now let’s get to work.”