Boris Johnson says US will be 'in the front of the queue' following appointment as Foreign Secretary

'We have a massive opportunity in this country to make a great success of our new relationship with Europe and with the world, and I'm very excited to be asked to play a part in that,' he added

Boris Johnson has said the United States would be "in the front of the queue" following his unexpected appointment as Theresa May's new Foreign Secretary.

The quip was a play on US President Barack Obama's suggestion during the EU referendum that the UK will go to "the back of the queue" for trade deals if it voted to leave the bloc.

Asked by a Sky News reporter whether he planned to apologise to Mr Obama for controversially saying the "part-Kenyan" president was biased against Britain because of "an ancestral dislike of the British empire", Mr Johnson said: "The United States of America will be in the front of the queue."

"We have a massive opportunity in this country to make a great success of our new relationship with Europe and with the world, and I'm very excited to be asked to play a part in that," he added.

As Foreign Secretary, the former Mayor of London will represent Britain abroad on the world stage.

He will also take a key role in negotiations to leave the EU once Article 50 is triggered.

Speaking after his appointment on Wednesday, Mr Johnson told BBC News: "Obviously very, very humbled, very, very proud to be offered this chance.

"I think Theresa made a wonderful speech this afternoon about her ambitions for the country and how she saw the Conservative government taking Britain forward.

"I completely agree with her sentiments and about opportunity, about giving people better life chances.

"Clearly now we have a massive opportunity in this country to make a great success of our relationship with Europe and with the world and I'm very excited to be asked to play a part in that."

Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron attacked the appointment of Mr Johnson, pointing out that during the referendum campaign he compared the ambitions of the EU with those of Hitler and "insulted" Mr Obama by referring to his "part-Kenyan" ancestry.

"Presumably Boris Johnson's first act as Foreign Secretary will be to apologise to the President of the United States, and then the leaders of our European partners," he said.

"At this incredibly important time that will determine Britain's economic and cultural relations with Europe, it is extraordinary that the new Prime Minister has chosen someone whose career is built on making jokes."

Additional reporting by agencies