HIGHLIGHTS-Boris Johnson promises to get Brexit done on Oct. 31

LONDON, July 23 (Reuters) - Boris Johnson said he would get Brexit done by the Oct. 31 deadline and unite Britain after he won the race to become the country's next prime minister on Tuesday.

Following are highlights of Johnson's speech following the declaration of his victory in the Conservative Party leadership race to succeed Theresa May.

ON THE BREXIT DEADLINE OF OCT. 31

"We are going to energise the country. We are going to get Brexit done on Oct. 31 and we are going to take advantage of all the opportunities it will bring in a new spirit of can do."

ON RESTORING OPTIMISM TO UK

"Like some slumbering giant we are going to rise and ping off the guy-ropes of self-doubt and negativity with better education, better infrastructure, more police, fantastic full-fibre broadband sprouting in every household. We are going to unite this amazing country and we are going to take it forward."

ON HIS VICTORY

"I know that there will be people around the place who will question the wisdom of your decision and there may be some people here who still wonder what they have done and I will just point out to you that no one party, no party has a monopoly of wisdom. But if you look at the history of the last 200 years of this party's existence, you will see that it is we Conservatives who have had the best insights, I think, into human nature."

ON THE BREXIT CHALLENGE AHEAD

"Do you look daunted? Do you feel daunted? I don't think you look remotely daunted to me. I think we know that we can do it and the people of this country are trusting in us to do it and we know that we will do it."

ON HIS PRIORITIES

"Deliver Brexit, unite the country and defeat Jeremy Corbyn."

(Compiled by Andrew MacAskill, Freddie Hayward and William Schomberg)

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