Boris Johnson

Boris Johnson
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Name	Boris Johnson
Caption	Official portrait, 2019
Office	Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Term start	24 July 2019
Term end	6 September 2022
Predecessor	Theresa May
Successor	Liz Truss
Office1	Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
Primeminister1	Theresa May
Term start1	13 July 2016
Term end1	9 July 2018
Predecessor1	Philip Hammond
Successor1	Jeremy Hunt
Office2	Mayor of London
Term start2	4 May 2008
Term end2	9 May 2016
Predecessor2	Ken Livingstone
Successor2	Sadiq Khan
Birth name	Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson
Birth date	19 June 1964
Birth place	New York City, United States
Party	Conservative
Spouse	Allegra Mostyn-Owen (m. 1987; div. 1993), Marina Wheeler (m. 1993; div. 2020), Carrie Symonds (m. 2022)
Alma mater	Balliol College, Oxford
Occupation	Politician, journalist, author

Boris Johnson is a British politician, journalist, and author who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2019 to 2022. A prominent figure in the Conservative Party, he previously held the offices of Mayor of London and Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs. His premiership was dominated by the final stages of Brexit and the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom.

Early life and education

Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson was born in New York City to British parents, Stanley Johnson and Charlotte Johnson Wahl. He was educated at the European School, Brussels I and later at Ashdown House School before winning a scholarship to Eton College. He read Classics at Balliol College, Oxford, where he was a member of the Bullingdon Club and served as President of the Oxford Union. His contemporaries at Oxford included future political figures like David Cameron and Michael Gove.

Journalism career

Johnson began his career as a graduate trainee at The Times but was dismissed for fabricating a quote. He then joined The Daily Telegraph, where he served as the Brussels correspondent from 1989 to 1994, gaining prominence for his Eurosceptic reporting. He later became Assistant Editor of The Telegraph and Editor of The Spectator from 1999 to 2005. His columns and writings were known for their distinctive, often provocative style, and he authored several books, including a biography of Winston Churchill.

Political career

Elected as the Member of Parliament for Henley in 2001, Johnson served in the Shadow Cabinet under Michael Howard and David Cameron. Appointed Shadow Minister for Higher Education in 2005, he later became Mayor of London in 2008, defeating the incumbent Ken Livingstone. He was re-elected in 2012, overseeing the 2012 Summer Olympics and implementing policies like the New Routemaster bus. He returned to the House of Commons in 2015 as MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip and was appointed Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs by Theresa May in 2016, resigning in 2018 over disagreements regarding her Chequers Agreement.

Premiership

Johnson became Conservative Party leader and Prime Minister in July 2019 following the resignation of Theresa May. He secured a renegotiated Brexit deal, the Withdrawal Agreement, and a large parliamentary majority in the 2019 United Kingdom general election. His tenure was defined by the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom, involving lockdowns and a rapid vaccination programme. His government was embroiled in controversies including the Partygate scandal, which led to a Metropolitan Police investigation and a fixed-penalty notice for Johnson. Following mass resignations from his government, he announced his resignation in July 2022 and was succeeded by Liz Truss.

Post-premiership activities

After leaving 10 Downing Street, Johnson returned to the backbenches as the MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip. He delivered a series of paid speeches internationally and continued to write columns. In June 2023, he resigned as an MP ahead of the publication of a report by the Privileges Committee into whether he misled the House of Commons over Partygate. He was succeeded in the subsequent by-election by Steve Tuckwell of the Conservative Party.

Personal life

Johnson has been married three times: to Allegra Mostyn-Owen, Marina Wheeler, and Carrie Symonds, with whom he has two children. He has acknowledged several other children from extramarital relationships. His personal life and financial affairs, including the funding of the renovation of the Downing Street flat, have frequently been the subject of media scrutiny. He holds both British and American citizenship, though he renounced his U.S. citizenship in 2016.

Category:1964 births Category:Living people Category:Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom Category:Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom Category:Mayors of London