Conservative British politician Boris Johnson became the second elected mayor of London before overseeing the U.K.’s departure from the European Union as prime minister.
Boris Johnson is a leading Conservative politician and British Prime Minister, who was elected leader of the Conservative Party in the summer of 2019, in a bid to take the UK out of the EU with or without a deal. He served as Mayor of London for two terms 2008-16, overseeing the 2012 London Olympics. He also played a leading role in the 2016 “Vote Leave” campaign on the EU referendum, afterwards becoming Foreign Secretary and later Prime Minister. He is one of Britain’s most high profile politicians, renowned for his eccentric approach to life but increasingly known for his hardline Brexit stance which has polarised opinion. Johnson’s term has Prime Minister was overshadowed by the coronavirus crisis. In 2021/22, details emerged that unauthorised parties had taken place in number 10 Downing Street – when the rest of the country was in lockdown.
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- Birth Year: 1964
- Birth date: June 19, 1964
- Best Known For: Conservative British politician Boris Johnson became the second elected mayor of London before overseeing the U.K.’s departure from the European Union as prime minister.
- Industries
- Politics
- Writing and Publishing
- Astrological Sign: Gemini
- Schools
- University of Oxford, Balliol College
- Interesting Facts
- Johnson was the third published novelist to become U.K. prime minister, after Benjamin Disraeli and Winston Churchill.
- Occupations
- Political Figure
- Writer
- Nicknames
- Beano Boris
- The Boris
- Britain’s Donald Trump
- The Blonde Bombshell
- Nicer Donald Trump
- Bonking Boris
- Bozza
- Buffoon Boris
- British Trump
- Britain’s Trump
- Boris J
- Boris the Bulldozer
- BoJo the Clown
- Height
5′ 9″ (1.75 m)
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Boris Johnson was born on June 19, 1964 in New York City, New York, USA. He is an actor, known for Have I Got News for You (1990), EastEnders (1985) and PMQs (2010). He has been married to Carrie Johnson since May 29, 2021. They have two children. He was previously married to Marina Wheeler and Allegra Mostyn-Owen.
Family
- Spouses
Carrie Johnson(May 29, 2021 – present) (2 children)Marina Wheeler(May 8, 1993 – 2020) (divorced, 4 children)Allegra Mostyn-Owen(September 5, 1987 – April 26, 1993) (divorced)
- Children
Wilfred JohnsonLara Lettice Johnson-WheelerMilo Arthur JohnsonCassia Peaches JohnsonTheodore Apollo JohnsonChildRomy Johnson
- Parents
Stanley JohnsonCharlotte Johnson Wahl
- Relatives
Rachel Johnson(Sibling)Jo Johnson(Sibling)Leo Johnson(Sibling)Julia Johnson(Half Sibling)Max Johnson(Half Sibling)James Fawcett(Grandparent)
Trademarks
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Untidy mop of blond hair
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Bumbling manner
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Very posh, stuttering voice
Boris Johnson and Mayor of London
In July 2007, Boris Johnson resigned from his position as shadow education secretary so that he would be free to stand as the Conservative candidate for Mayor of London. He was successful in beating the incumbent Ken Livingstone. As Mayor of London, Boris Johnson has forged a strong political identity, often criticising his own party, for example over placing a cap on housing benefits, which hurts London more than other areas. Describing his own political views, Johnson states:
From 2008-16, Johnson served as Mayor of London becoming one of the highest-profile politicians in the UK. He has often been rumoured as a credible leadership candidate for the Conservative party, though he often denied this. In 2012, Johnson was re-elected Mayor of London, again defeating Ken Livingstone.
How did Boris Johnson become Mayor of London?
- Developed a high media profile through appearances on TV
- Ability to turn gaffes into public relation successes.
- An appeal to young people across traditional party boundaries.
- Gave the impression of charismatic and unique personality, an increasing rarity in modern politics.
- It was partly a backlash against the Labour government in 2007, but primarily because of Johnson’s personal profile. It is rare for Conservatives to do well in London.
- Ken Livingston had his own high public profile after eight years in the job, but there was some desire for a change
Boris Johnson and Cycling
Boris is well known for his love of cycling and frequently commutes to work through the busy streets of London. As mayor of London, he implemented an existing idea to provide hire bikes in London. For a time, they became known as the “Boris Bike”.
He has had many bikes stolen and has written extensively on the injustice of bike theft. For example, he notes that on having a bike stole people usually respond by criticising the cyclist for not taking sufficient precautions or buying a bike that is too flash. He admits that he has fantasised over leaving dummy bikes as bait for thieves and then setting the Navy Seals on to the criminals.
Boris Johnson and Have I got News for You
In 1998 Boris Johnson first appeared on Have I Got News for You. His appearance was considered a success, and he was invited back for future episodes and also twice to host the show. Johnson’s comedy persona of playing the ‘Upper-Class Twit’ made him a media celebrity and raised his profile beyond the political class. Usually, the show lasts for 30 minutes. With Boris in the chair, there were frequent pauses and extra time getting through questions. Merton and Hislop affectionately refer to Johnson as “Wodehousian”, and agree that “every time he’s on it gets better”.
Some of his quotes from the show include:
After May resigned in May 2019 over an inability to forge a Brexit agreement, Johnson again sought control of the party leadership. This time, he emerged victorious after promising to pull out of the E.U. by October 31, regardless of whether or not a deal was in place, and took over as prime minister on July 24, 2019.
Johnson quickly found himself at odds with lawmakers after asking Queen Elizabeth II to suspend Parliament until mid-October, with critics charging that he was narrowing the opportunity for opposition to his Brexit plans. Parliament subsequently passed a bill that required the PM to request an extension for the U.K.’s departure by October 19 if he was unable to broker an agreement with the E.U. or earn the necessary consent for a no-deal Brexit.
While Johnson was forced to seek the extension, he was successful in bringing his case to the people with a snap election. Riding the slogan “get Brexit done,” the Conservative Party proved the decisive winner in the December 2019 general election, giving Johnson time to fine-tune the minutiae of a final deal after the country’s formal exit from the E.U. on January 31, 2020.
Books
Johnson has authored several books, dating back to his tales from the campaign trail with Friends, Voters, Countrymen (2001). Other works include the novel Seventy-Two Virgins (2003); an examination of antiquity with The Dream of Rome (2006); a book of poetry and illustrations with The Perils of the Pushy Parents (2007); and the biography The Churchill Factor (2014).
Wives and Children
Johnson has been married three times and fathered seven children. After meeting Allegra Mostyn-Owen at Oxford, the two were married in 1987 before having the union annulled in 1993. That year Johnson wed lawyer Marina Wheeler, with whom he had daughters Lara and Cassia and sons Milo and Theodore.
Following the revelation that he had another daughter, Stephanie, with journalist Helen MacIntyre, Johnson and Wheeler divorced in 2018. The prime minister then married public relations executive Carrie Symonds in 2021 and added to his family with son Wilfred and daughter Romy.
Social Media:
- Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/borisjohnson
- Instagrem:https://www.instagram.com/borisjohnsonuk/