UK ELECTIONS : BORIS JOHNSON BONDS

Prime Minister Boris Johnson called on Friday for ''closure'' over the Brexit divisions as his Conservative Party scored the biggest election victory since 1987, saying that Thursday's vote provided him an overwhelming mandate to take Britain out of the European Union on January 31.

Johnson, the face of the victorious ''Leave'' campaign in the 2016 referendum, fought the election under the slogan of ''Get Brexit Done''.

He was vindicated with the biggest Conservative win since Margaret Thatcher's landslide victory of 1987, trouncing his socialist Labour Party opponent Jimmy Corbyn by winning 365 seats with a majority of 80. Labour won just 203 seats.

Johnson called for the healing to begin. ''I frankly urge everyone on either side of what are, after 3.5 years, an increasingly arid argument, I urge everyone to find closure and let the healing begin,'' Johnson said outside his residence at 10 Downing Street.

With such a commanding majority, Johnson will now swiftly ratify the Brexit deal he struck with the EU so that United Kingdom can leave on January 31 - 10 months later than initially planned.

''I know that after five weeks, frankly, of electioneering, this country deserves a
a break from wrangling, a break from politics and a permanent break from talking about Brexit.''

'GET BREXIT DONE'' : Though now free to realise his Brexit dream, Johnson faces the daunting task of negotiating a trade agreement with EU, possibly in just 11 months, while also negotiating another trade deal with US President Donald Trump.

The outcome of the trade negotiations will shape the future of Britain's $2.7 trillion economy. Trump congratulated Johnson and said a US deal could be more lucrative than any with the EU.

SCOTLAND REJECTS BREXIT : The election result was hailed as victory for Englsih, Scottish and Irish nationalism - but it raised fears about the future of United Kingdom.

The anti-Brexit, pro-independence Scottish National Party [SNP] won 48 of Scotland's 59 seats by thrashing both Conservative and Labour Party. It is time now to decide our own future,'' said Nicola Sturgeon, SNP leader and first minister of Scotland. [Agencies]