British voters have given Prime Minister Boris Johnson a commanding majority. But they have little idea what he plans to do with it.
by taking Britain out of the European Union on 31 January and to increase public spending after years of austerity.
Now he has to turn vague election pledges into political reality.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson holds his first Cabinet meeting following the election. Source: Press Association
That will start on Thursday when Mr Johnson's government announces its legislative plans for the coming year in a speech read out in parliament by Queen Elizabeth.
The Queen's Speech - written by the government but read by the monarch from atop a golden throne - will give some idea of what drives Mr Johnson, a politician whose core beliefs remain a mystery, even to his allies.
He sometimes acts like a Donald Trump-style populist - dubbing his administration a "People's Government" and banning his ministers from attending the elitist World Economic Forum next month in Davos, Switzerland.
But he also claims to be a socially liberal "one nation" Tory who welcomes immigration and wants Britain to be a leader in tackling climate change.
It's unclear which Mr Johnson will be uppermost in Thursday's speech, which forms part of the ceremony-rich State Opening of Parliament.
Britain saw its last state opening just two months ago, soon after Mr Johnson took over as prime minister from Theresa May.
Boris Johnson meets with Queen Elizabeth II. Source: AAP
For the Queen's second visit this year, the pomp is being toned down.
The 93-year-old monarch will travel to parliament in a car, rather than a horse-drawn carriage, and will wear a hat, rather than a diamond-studded crown.
Prominent on the list of legislation will be Johnson's Withdrawal Agreement Bill, the law needed to make Brexit a reality. I, and the government plans to hold the first significant vote on it Friday.
Boris Johnson campaigned hard on "Get Brexit Done". Source: AAP
The bill commits Britain to leave the EU on that date and to concluding trade talks by the end of 2020.
Mr Johnson insists he won't agree to any more delay - a vow that has set off alarm bells among businesses, who fear it means the country will face a "no-deal" Brexit at the start of 2021.
Trade experts and EU officials say striking a free trade deal in only 11 months will be a struggle.
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called the timetable "extremely challenging".
Michel Barnier, the EU's chief Brexit negotiator, said "it won't be possible ... in this limited time to do everything. But we will do everything we can."
Mr Johnson will make his mark on government more decisively in the new year.
He's expected to shake up his cabinet and overhaul the machinery of government by merging or even eliminating ministries.
Meanwhile, politicians from the main opposition Labour Party have begun jostling to become the next leader of the left-of-centre party following its crushing election defeat.
Labour lost 60 seats, securing only 203, as voters rejected its complicated position on Brexit and its hard-left leader, Jeremy Corbyn.
Labour Brexit spokesman Keir Starmer, foreign policy spokeswoman Emily Thornberry and MPs Lisa Nandy and Yvette Cooper all say they are considering running in a contest to replace Corbyn due to be held early next year.
