Three big priorities for Boris Johnson

Some Remainers supported the Conservatives because they felt, rightly in my view, that the wishes of the 2016 majority were being ignored by Parliament and that this is unacceptable in a democracy.

Remainers who now just want to 'get Brexit done' will not take kindly to seeing the issue treated as a platform for enhancing political careers.

The Prime Minister also needs to ensure that bickering within Tory ranks on the shape of Britain's future relationship with the EU and the world is kept to a minimum. He should listen to dissenting voices, but continue to lead from the front.

Those who reluctantly voted Conservative, in the interests of fair play over Brexit, may be turned off by any bickering and posturing within the Tory ranks when it comes to the shape of final trade deals with and beyond the EU.

A second challenge for Mr Johnson will be to re-engage Scotland and re-energise Northern Ireland.

The SNP has seen a reasonably good election result. Nicola Sturgeon, being an independence ideologue, will interpret the result purely as a mandate for a second referendum on that subject.

SNP gains, though, have mainly come at the expense of the Labour Party. So, independence will not have been the only factor in play in the voters' minds.

Anti-Corbyn and anti-radical-socialist sentiment, which played a role in Labour's defeat across Britain, will have played a role in Labour's losses. As will the weakness of the Lib Dems, who still appear to want to position themselves as little more than the non-Conservative-non-Labour party.

More importantly, issues relating to the health service, education and other social challenges will have featured strongly in the minds of Scottish voters.

It is much harder for Conservatives to win these arguments north of the border - it always has been. So, Ms Sturgeon should not be allowed to depict the vote as being focused solely on independence.

The Prime Minister will need to recognise this fact and directly engage Scots in carrying through the types of social policies he outlined before to the election.

That's especially true when it comes to improving the health service and boosting education and policing and education. He must also focus on strengthening aged care and other aspects of the social net.