Boris Johnson
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson ( New York , June 19 , 1964 ) is a British politician and journalist . He is the leader of the Conservative Party and since July 24, 2019, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom .
He was mayor of London from 2008 to 2016. He became one of the prominent figures in favor of the United Kingdom's exit from the European Union ( Brexit ), which would be the winning option in the 2016 referendum . Immediately and after declining his candidacy to succeed David Cameron as leader of the Conservative Party and, consequently, and to be the new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, on July 13, 2016 he was appointed Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and of the Commonwealth in the first Cabinet formed by the then-new Prime Minister, Theresa May.
When May announced her resignation as leader of the Conservative Party in 2019, Johnson ran and won the party election. In the 2019 general elections, Johnson led the Conservative Party to its biggest parliamentary victory since 1987, obtaining 43.6% of the vote, the highest percentage obtained by any party since 1979, serving as prime minister since the 24th. July of that year. Under his government an agreement was achieved that allowed the Brexit will concretize on 31 January 2020.
On April 5, 2020, Johnson is admitted to the Saint Thomas Hospital in London due to the effects of COVID-19 and the following day he is transferred to the intensive care unit due to the aggravation of his symptoms . Recovered after his convalescence, Johnson retook the reins of the government at the end of that month.
Biography of Boris Johnson
He was born in the Upper East Side neighborhood of Manhattan (New York), to British parents, with dual citizenship . In 2015, he renounced his US citizenship. His father is Stanley Johnson and his mother is Charlotte Johnson Wahl. Among his three siblings, Rachel and Jo stand out. During his childhood he suffered from deafness and needed several surgeries to insert tympanostomy tubes into his ears.
He studied Classical Philology at Oxford and began his career as a journalist at The Times , from where he was fired for making up a date and later worked at the Express & Star in the city of Wolverhampton. In 1989 he was sent by The Daily Telegraph to Brussels as a correspondent for the European Union (EU). His article "The Delors Plan to Rule Europe" made him the favorite journalist of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher , although his relationship with Thatcher's successor, John Major , was much more controversial.
In 1999 he was appointed director of The Spectator .
Political Background
Member of the House of Commons
In 1997, he was defeated in the parliamentary elections in the constituency of Clwyd South. In 2001, Johnson successfully entered the House of Commons , elected in the constituency of Henley-on-Thames , succeeding Michael Heseltine . He will recount this campaign in a book Friends, Voters, Countrymen: Jottings on the Stump . In 2004, he was appointed shadow minister ( "Shadow Minister") for Culture in a small reshuffle following the resignation of Nick Hawkins (en) . In November 2003, he was appointed vice-president of the Conservative Party, after an intense campaign.
Boris Johnson is dismissed from his post in the party in , Following accusations of lies coming from Michael Howard about an extramarital relationship of four years he had with Petronella Wyatt (in) , the New York correspondent for The Spectator and former editor-assistant . Johnson ridiculed these allegations describing them as "an inverted pyramid of nonsense" but Howard fired Johnson not because of the merits of the case itself but because he thought, based on what the press was saying. , that Boris Johnson had lied.
He was again appointed to the Shadow Cabinet responsible for higher education on December 9, 2005 by the new leader of the Conservative Party, David Cameron . He resigned from his post as editor at The Spectator soon after.
Mayor of London
He assumed the position of Mayor of London in the wake of the election of the 1st May 2008, defeating the incumbent mayor, Labor Ken Livingstone , while the election seemed initially losing. He was re-elected against the latter four years later. He is admitted “ keys to the city ” (“ Freeman of the City of London ”, which allows him to stand if he wishes to be elected Lord Mayor of London .
In 2013, Boris Johnson opposed the capping of bonuses for European traders and bankers , in particular those of the City of London .
It takes over several projects from its predecessor: self-service bicycles (nicknamed the “ Boris bikes ”), the Cross rail project, investments in transport and launches a new model of double-decker, modern and ecological buses. Under his mandate, the Olympic Games are held . He enjoys popularity beyond mere Conservative Party.
He regained his seat as a Member of Parliament in the 2015 general election , being elected in the constituency of Uxbridge and South Ruislip , seven years after deciding to leave the House of Commons due to his election as mayor of London. He did not seek a third term and left London City Hall on , Labor Sadiq Khan succeeding him.
Brexit campaign
He appears as one of the big winners of the poll and is the favorite to succeed Prime Minister David Cameron , who has announced his intention to resign before October. But he faces criticism of his ability to rally and ultimately gives up standing for the leadership of the Conservative Party , very divided after this referendum, and supports the candidacy of Andrea Leadsom.
While a profession of faith - signed by his hand two days before - glorified the "windfall" that would be a vote in favor of remaining in the Union and announced an "economic shock" in the event of Brexit, he turned around -face the by taking a stand for the United Kingdom's exit from the European Union (“Brexit”). Thus opposing the majority of personalities of the Conservative Party, he became one of the main figures of the Brexit campaign, which won in the referendum of .
Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs
The , Theresa May succeeds David Cameron as head of government. Boris Johnson joins his cabinet at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. His appointment causes surprise or consternation in the media. He promises that his country "will always be part of Europe", that the rights of Europeans living in the United Kingdom will be "fully protected", that cooperation with the European Union "will intensify in the field of the arts, sciences and universities ”and that Great Britain will have access to the single European market, while insisting on the need to break with the European Union, an institution he considers“ infantilizing ” . Partisan of a “clean” line, he intends to “liberate” his country from certain fiscal, ethical, customs and environmental rules, considering Brexit as “a considerable chance” making it possible to turn to new economic forces, such as “the region. Asia-Pacific ”, and take the lead in areas such as innovation and research.
Her positions and her reversals arouse criticism and embarrassment among foreign diplomats and the Prime Minister. The German Frank-Walter Steinmeier would have compared him to one of those "irresponsible politicians who drag the country into Brexit and then let it go". Jeroen Dijsselbloem , the Dutch finance minister, accuses him of promising "what is intellectually impossible" and "politically not available". For Le Monde , "Boris Johnson continues to behave at the head of the Foreign Office like the troublemaker, often rude and dishonest, he was when he was a journalist, then mayor of London." The Guardian accuses him of "sowing unnecessary chaos in the lamentable Brexit procedure" and the Times , close to the Conservatives, underlines the embarrassment of British diplomats to be led by a minister "who behaves like a child".
The , in disagreement with the conduct of a moderate Brexit (" soft Brexit "), he announces his departure from government, like Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union David Davis the day before. He is replaced by Jeremy Hunt .
Estate of Theresa May
Boris Johnson's stance in favor of a “hard” exit from the European Union (“ hard Brexit ”) made him a potential candidate for his succession at 10 Downing Street . In J, following Theresa May 's resignation, he is running for the leadership of the Conservative Party. He clearly leads the first four rounds of the party's deputies vote and qualifies for the membership vote at the end of the fifth round, with 160 votes against 77 for Jeremy Hunt and 75 for Michael Gove 35 .
Unlike his opponent, he promises not to postpone Brexit beyond and says it is ready not to settle the Brexit bill (between 40 and 45 billion euros) if the European Union does not grant better exit conditions to the United Kingdom.
In this race, he obtained the support of US President Donald Trump , to whom the press often compared him for his atypical stances and style.
The , the party announces that it won the vote of the members with 66.1% of the vote. He succeeds Theresa May as Prime Minister the next day.
Prime Minister
Blockage in the House of Commons
In his first speech at 10 Downing Street , Boris Johnson reaffirms his commitment to achieve Brexit On . His government , appointed the same day, is largely made up of Eurosceptic figures. A dozen of Theresa May's minister's are not reappointed.
The , he obtained from Queen Elizabeth II the suspension of Parliament until following, which could make possible a Brexit without an agreement with the EU or lead to the overthrow of the government and the organization of early elections. The , following the defection of the conservative Europhile deputy Phillip Lee, he lost his absolute majority in the House of Commons. The , the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom ruled that the suspension of Parliament was “illegal, null and void”. Opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn called for Johnson's resignation. This political instability rekindles the desire for independence of certain Scots, mostly hostile to Brexit.
An agreement is finally reached onbetween the United Kingdom and the European Union. Called to vote on this treaty on October 19, when the prognoses are in the direction of adoption of the agreement, the House of Commons adopts an amendment postponing the vote sine die , in order to be able to examine the text in detail without risking a no-deal Brexit. Boris Johnson then asks the European institutions for a new postponement in an unsigned letter, assuring that he will do everything to ensure that the country leaves the EU on October 31. The 27 other EU member states agree to postpone the UK's withdrawal date once again to January 31, 2020.
2019 early elections
Showing his wish to achieve Brexit “at all costs”, Boris Johnson succeeds, after three failures, in convincing the Labor opposition to support the convening of a new general election. Being legally unable to complete Brexit on the date of as he had originally promised, he apologized to the members of the Conservative Party. He also announces that he refuses any alliance with the Brexit Party , led by Nigel Farage. Boris Johnson focuses his speech on Brexit - with the slogan “ Get Brexit done ” - and warns against the possibility of a minority government, which would plunge the country into a new political crisis.Brexit and the transition periodOn election night, the , he was re-elected as a Member of Parliament and the Conservative Party obtained an absolute majority of seats in the House of Commons, obtaining its best score since 1987.
The House of Commons approves the withdrawal agreement concluded with the European Union on , by 330 votes to 231. As expected, Brexit comes On at 11 p.m. ( UTC ). Unlike the leader of the Brexit Party, Nigel Farage , who celebrates the event with fervor, Boris Johnson is keen to be “unifier” by addressing supporters of staying in the EU and taking note of the transition period, which should last until .
Defense policy
Boris Johnson announced in November 2020 his decision to increase the budget of the British Army by 10% (or 16.5 billion pounds) for the next four years. This amounted to around £ 41.5 billion a year at the time. The Prime Minister specifies: “We have decided that the era of budget cuts is over. [These additional sums] will enable us to post military spending of at least 2.2% of our gross domestic product [GDP]: this is more than our commitment within the framework of NATO , more than any other. European country and any other country of the Atlantic Alliance, except the United States. "The government decides in 2021 to increase its stock of nuclear warheads (increasing the latter from 180 to 260), justifying this decision by the “active threat” that Russia would represent.
Covid-19 pandemic
From the start of 2020, Boris Johnson is facing, like other European leaders, the Covid-19 pandemic .
It first decides on non-binding measures, following its scientific advisers, who oppose strict confinement and favor the concept of collective immunity. Until March, he minimizes the danger and personally neglects the barrier gestures. However, schools are closed on , followed by pubs, cinemas and restaurants the next day. The general confinement of the country is decreed on .
The , Boris Johnson announces that he has been in isolation at 10 Downing Street after testing positive for the Covid-19 virus . Officially showing mild symptoms, he says he continues to lead the government by video conference. But the , he was admitted to St Thomas ' hospital ; the next day, he was transferred to an intensive care unit and placed on oxygen for three days: he then asked Dominic Raab , Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and First Secretary of State , to replace him "where necessary » , but without having the same powers. The , he leaves the hospital and thanks the NHS for having “saved his life”. He resumed his activities after two weeks of convalescence. His predecessors David Lloyd George , who had the Spanish flu in, and Winston Churchill , who suffered a stroke in, had also been reduced in the performance of their duties, but their state of health had been obscured.
His chief political adviser, Dominic Cummings , then came under heavy criticism after he made a trip with his family to Durham , during strict containment, while suffering from symptoms of Covid-19. Cummings and Johnson reject widespread calls for his resignation. The scandal leads to a loss of confidence in the government and in its management of the pandemic, called the "Cummings effect" in a study published by The Lancet.
In December 2020, Covid-19 cases across the country are increasing dramatically, putting additional pressure on resuscitation departments and hospitals. In response, the government is putting further restrictions in place in large parts of southern and eastern England. A third lockdown for the whole of the UK is announced on January 4, 2021 and the government begins to impose quarantine procedures on the arrival of British and foreign nationals in the country. At the same time, Johnson declares that he is "deeply sorry" and takes "full responsibility" for the fact that the United Kingdom has become the first country to cross the sad milestone of 100,000 deaths linked to Covid-19.
On December 8, 2020, the United Kingdom is the first country in the world to start its vaccination program against Covid-19 78 . Half of UK adults received at least a first dose of vaccine by March 20, 2021, including Boris Johnson himself with AstraZeneca's vaccine . On April 12, the terraces of bars, restaurants and other businesses reopen with restrictions. The next day, the United Kingdom reached a little ahead of time its goal of offering at least a first dose of vaccine against Covid-19 to all over 50 years and to the most vulnerable or exposed: more than 32 million people have thus received at least a first dose. At the same time, studies indicate that the variant of the virus B.1.1.7 , nicknamed “English variant”, does not lead to more severe forms of the virus: these findings thus contradict previous research work, but confirm that the English variant is much more contagious than previous strains of Covid- 19.
Members of the British Cabinet
The following are the current members of the Cabinet of Boris Johnson after the departure of Theresa May as prime minister on July 24, 2019:
Boris Johnson's Cabinet
- Prime Minister , First Lord of the Treasury , Minister for the Civil Service and the Union Minister Boris Johnson
- Chancellor of the Exchequer : Rishi Sunak
- First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Relations : Dominic Raab
- Secretary of State for the Department of the Interior : Priti Patel
- Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster : Michael Gove
- Secretary of State for Leaving the European Union : Stephen Barclay
- Secretary of State for Defense: Ben Wallace
- Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice: Robert Buckland
- Secretary of State for Health and Welfare: Matt Hancock
- Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Alok Sharma
- Secretary of State for International Trade and President of the Trade Commission: Liz Truss
- Secretary of State for Education: Gavin Williamson
- Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: George Eustice
- Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government: Robert Jenrick
- Secretary of State for Transportation: Grant Shapps
- Secretary of State for Employment and Pensions and Minister for Women and Equality: Therese Coffey
- Leader of the House of Lords and Lord of the Private Seal : Natalie Evans, Baroness Evans of Bowes Park
- Secretary of State for Scotland : Alister Jack
- Secretary of State for Wales : Simon Hart
- Secretary of State for Northern Ireland : Brandon Lewis
- Secretary of State for International Development: Liz Truss
- Secretary of State for Culture, the Media and Sports : Oliver Dowden
- Minister without portfolio and president of the Conservative Party : Amanda Milling
They serve the cabinet without being full members
- Chief Secretary of the Treasury: Rishi Sunak
- Leader of the House of Commons and Lord Speaker of the Council : Jacob Rees-Mogg
- Leader of the Parliamentary Group ( Chief Whip ) and Parliamentary Secretary of the Treasury: Mark Spencer
- Attorney General : Geoffrey Cox
- Minister of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Kwasi Kwarteng
- General Payer and Minister for the Cabinet Office: Oliver Dowden
- Minister of State for Northern Empowerment: Jake Berry
- Minister of State for Housing and Planning: Esther McVey
- Minister of State for Universities: Jo Johnson
- Minister of State for Security: Brandon Lewis
Personal life
Born in New York to British parents, Johnson used to have dual British-American citizenship. In 2014, he acknowledged that he was contesting a claim for taxes on capital gains from the US authorities on a property he inherited in the UK, which ended up paying. In February 2015, announced his intention to renounce his US citizenship to demonstrate their alliance with the United Kingdom, which ended up doing in 2016. Johnson has knowledge of French, Italian, German, Spanish, Latin and ancient Greek, Frequently using and alluding to classical references both in newspaper columns and in his speeches. His favorite movie is The Godfather , due to "all the murders paid for at the end of the movie."
In 2007, Johnson admitted to smoking cannabis while attending college. He also claimed to have used cocaine .
Johnson was baptized a Catholic and later confirmed in the Church of England , but declared that "his faith comes and goes" and that he does not seriously practice Christianity. The Greek politician and orator Pericles is his personal hero. According to his personal biographer, Andrew Gimson, according to the Greek and Roman polytheism: "It is clear that [Johnson] is inspired by the Romans, and much more by the Greeks, and disowned by the early Christians." Johnson views secular humanism positively and sees it as more belonging to the classical world than to Christian thought.
Relationships
In 1987, Johnson married Allegra Mostyn-Owen, daughter of art historian William Mostyn-Owen and Italian writer Gaia Servadio. The marriage was annulled in 1993 and twelve days later, Johnson married Marina Wheeler, a lawyer, daughter of journalist and broadcaster Charles Wheeler and his wife, Dip Singh. Five weeks later, Wheeler and Johnson's first child was born. Families Wheeler and Johnson had known you decades, and Marina Wheeler attended the European School, Brussels at the same time as their future husband. They have four children in total: two women named Lara and Cassia and two boys, Milo and Theodore.
Between 2000 and 2004, Johnson had an affair with columnist Petronella Wyatt when he was an editor, which resulted in two assisted abortions. In April 2006, the News of the World newspaper alleged that Johnson was having an affair with Guardian journalist Anna Fazackerley. Neither commented, but soon after, Johnson hired Fazackerley.
In 2009, Johnson had a daughter with Helen MacIntyre, an art consultant. In 2013, the Court of Appeals refused to ban the media from talking about her daughter's exi Johnson has not discussed how many children in total.
In September 2018, Johnson and Wheeler declared that they were divorcing after 25 years of marriage in a statement and that they had been living apart "for several months." reached an economic agreement in February 2020.
In 2019, Johnson was living with Carrie Symonds, daughter of Matthew Symonds and granddaughter of John Beavan, Baron Ardwick and co-founder of The Independent newspaper , and Josephine McAfee, a judge. Symonds had worked for the Conservative Party since 2009 and worked on Johnson's 2012 campaign to be re-elected mayor. On February 29, 2020, Johnson and Symonds announced their engagement and that Symonds was expecting a child from Johnson. His son, Wilfred Lawrie Nicholas Johnson, 71 was born in London in the early hours of 29 April 2020.
