40 Princess Rd, Primrose Hill, London NW1 8JL, United Kingdom
Boris was educated at Primrose Hill Primary School.
Gallery of Boris Johnson
Forest Row RH18 5JY, United Kingdom
In 1975, Johnson and his siblings were sent to England to attend Ashdown House, a preparatory boarding school in East Sussex.
College/University
Gallery of Boris Johnson
Windsor SL4 6DW, United Kingdom
Johnson studied at Eton College.
Gallery of Boris Johnson
Oxford OX1 3BJ, United Kingdom
Johnson won a scholarship to read Literae Humaniores at Balliol College, Oxford.
Career
Gallery of Boris Johnson
2019
Downing Street, London, United Kingdom
Prime Minister Boris Johnson makes a statement at Downing Street after receiving permission to form the next government during an audience with Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace in London, England.
Gallery of Boris Johnson
2019
Downing Street, London, United Kingdom
Prime Minister Boris Johnson makes a statement at Downing Street after receiving permission to form the next government during an audience with Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace in London, England.
Gallery of Boris Johnson
2019
Downing Street, London, United Kingdom
Prime Minister Boris Johnson makes a statement in Downing Street after receiving permission to form the next government during an audience with Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace in London, England.
Gallery of Boris Johnson
2020
London, United Kingdom
Boris Johnson chairs a face-to-face meeting of his cabinet team of ministers, the first since mid-March, at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in London, England.
Gallery of Boris Johnson
2020
London, United Kingdom
Boris Johnson sits beside Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak during a face-to-face meeting of his cabinet team of ministers, the first since mid-March, at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in London, England.
Gallery of Boris Johnson
2020
London, United Kingdom
Boris Johnson arrives at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in London, ahead of a Cabinet meeting to be held at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, for the first time since the lockdown in London, England.
Gallery of Boris Johnson
2020
London, United Kingdom
Scottish Secretary of State Alister Jack and prime minister Boris Johnson leave a cabinet meeting at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) to be held for the first time since the lockdown in London, England.
Gallery of Boris Johnson
2020
London, United Kingdom
Boris Johnson chairs a face-to-face meeting of his cabinet team of ministers, the first since mid-March in London, England.
Gallery of Boris Johnson
2020
10 Downing Street, London, United Kingdom
Britain's prime minister Boris Johnson meets with United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for talks at Downing Street in London, England.
Gallery of Boris Johnson
2020
10 Downing Street, London, United Kingdom
Britain's prime minister Boris Johnson meets with United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (not pictured) for talks at Downing Street in London, England.
Gallery of Boris Johnson
2020
10 Downing Street, London, United Kingdom
Boris Johnson leaves 10 Downing Street to attend the final Prime Ministers Questions (PMQs) before summer recess in London, England.
Gallery of Boris Johnson
2020
10 Downing Street, London, United Kingdom
Boris Johnson leaves 10 Downing Street to attend the final Prime Ministers Questions (PMQs) before summer recess in London, England.
Boris Johnson leaves alongside Priti Patel, United Kingdom international development secretary, following a weekly cabinet meeting at 10 Downing Street in London, United Kingdom.
William Cheng, Boris Johnson, Mr. Yang Chi Hua and Mr. George Quek attend the United Kingdom launch of Din Tai Fung in Covent Garden in London, England.
Boris Johnson, Mr. George Quek, Mr. Yang Chi Hua and Ms. Katherine Lee attend the United Kingdom launch of Din Tai Fung in Covent Garden in London, England.
Boris Johnson, United Kingdom foreign secretary, left, David Davis, United Kingdom exiting the European Union secretary, center, and Gavin Williamson, United Kingdom defense secretary, leave after attending a meeting of cabinet ministers at 10 Downing Street in London, United Kingdom.
Boris Johnson, former United Kingdom foreign secretary, attends the presentation of a report from Economists For Free Trade at houses of Parliament in London, United Kingdom.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson makes a statement at Downing Street after receiving permission to form the next government during an audience with Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace in London, England.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson makes a statement at Downing Street after receiving permission to form the next government during an audience with Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace in London, England.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson makes a statement in Downing Street after receiving permission to form the next government during an audience with Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace in London, England.
Boris Johnson chairs a face-to-face meeting of his cabinet team of ministers, the first since mid-March, at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in London, England.
Boris Johnson sits beside Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak during a face-to-face meeting of his cabinet team of ministers, the first since mid-March, at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in London, England.
Boris Johnson arrives at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in London, ahead of a Cabinet meeting to be held at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, for the first time since the lockdown in London, England.
Scottish Secretary of State Alister Jack and prime minister Boris Johnson leave a cabinet meeting at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) to be held for the first time since the lockdown in London, England.
Britain's prime minister Boris Johnson meets with United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (not pictured) for talks at Downing Street in London, England.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson on the telephone to Queen Elizabeth II for her Weekly Audience during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic at 10 Downing Street in London, England.
(Lend Me Your Ears is a collection of Boris Johnson's writ...)
Lend Me Your Ears is a collection of Boris Johnson's writing from the past fifteen years, with new additions. An anthology of pieces selected to illustrate the history of our times, from the fall of Thatcher to the presidency of Blair, with new commentary on some of the major developments as seen from today's perspective. Boris Johnson was there at Maastricht and in Kosovo; he was at Bush's ranch during his early career and in the Clinton White House during the days of trouble. His material also covers the consequences of the end of the Cold War.
(In this book, Boris Johnson explores what makes up the 'C...)
In this book, Boris Johnson explores what makes up the 'Churchill Factor' - the singular brilliance of one of the most important leaders of the twentieth century. Taking on the myths and misconceptions along with the outsized reality, he portrays - with characteristic wit and passion - a man of multiple contradictions, contagious bravery, breathtaking eloquence, matchless strategizing and deep humanity.
Boris Johnson is an American-born British journalist and Conservative Party politician who became prime minister of the United Kingdom in July 2019. Earlier he served as the second elected mayor of London (2008-2016) and as secretary of state for foreign affairs (2016-2018) under prime minister Theresa May.
Background
Ethnicity:
Johnson's maternal great-grandfather, Elias Avery Lowe, a paleographer, was of Russian Jewish descent, and his paternal great-grandfather, Ali Kemal, was an Ottoman-born Turkish journalist. Also, his father, Stanley Johnson, has English, German and French ancestors.
Boris Johnson was born on 19 June 1964 in the Upper East Side of Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States, to Stanley Johnson and Charlotte Fawcett, an artist from a family of liberal intellectuals. Boris's parents married in 1963 and moved to the United States. In September 1964, they returned to England. In July 1965, the family moved to Crouch End in north London, and in February 1966 they relocated to Washington, D.C. There Stanley gained employment with the World Bank. Later, he worked with a policy panel on population control. Then, the family moved to Norwalk, Connecticut. In 1969, they returned to England and settled down in West Nethercote Farm. In late 1969, Boris's family relocated to Maida Vale in West London, while his father, Stanley, began post-doctoral research at the London School of Economics.
Education
In 1970, Johnson and his family returned to Nethercote. There he attended Winsford Village School and then, together with his family, moved to London to settle in Primrose Hill, where he was educated at Primrose Hill Primary School.
After his father began to work at the European Commission, he moved his family to Uccle, where Johnson attended the European School, Brussels I. In 1975, Johnson and his siblings were sent back to England to attend Ashdown House, a preparatory boarding school in East Sussex.
Later, Johnson gained a King's Scholarship to study at Eton College. He excelled in English and Classics, and became secretary of the school debating society and editor of the school newspaper, The Eton College Chronicle. After leaving Eton, Johnson went on a gap year to Australia. There he taught English and Latin at Timbertop, an Outward Bound-inspired campus of Geelong Grammar.
Later, Johnson won a scholarship to read Literae Humaniores at Balliol College, Oxford. He was popular and well known at Oxford. Boris co-edited the university's satirical magazine Tributary. In 1984, he was elected secretary of the Oxford Union and campaigned for the position of Union President, but lost. In two years, Johnson ran for president again - this time successfully. His campaign was focused on reaching out beyond his established upper-class support base by emphasizing his persona and playing down his Conservative connections. It's worth noting, that his term, however, was not particularly distinguished or memorable and questions were raised regarding his competence and seriousness.
In 2007 Boris Johnson received an Honorary degree of Doctor of Laws (LL.D) from Brunel University London.
After briefly working as a management consultant, Johnson embarked on a career in journalism. He started as a reporter for The Times in 1987 but was fired for fabricating a quotation. He then began working for The Daily Telegraph, where he served as a correspondent covering the European Community (1989 - 1994) and later as an assistant editor (1994 - 1999). In 1994, Johnson became a political columnist for The Spectator, and in 1999 he was named the magazine's editor, continuing in that role until 2005.
In 1997 Johnson was selected as the Conservative candidate for Clwyd South in the House of Commons, but he lost decisively to the Labour Party incumbent Martyn Jones. Soon after, Johnson began appearing on a variety of television shows, beginning in 1998 with the BBC talk program Have I Got News for You. His bumbling demeanor and occasionally irreverent remarks made him a perennial favourite on British talk shows. Johnson again stood for Parliament in 2001, this time winning the contest in the Henley-on-Thames constituency. Though he continued to appear frequently on British television programs and became one of the country's most-recognized politicians, Johnson's political rise was threatened on a number of occasions. He was forced to apologize to the city of Liverpool after the publication of an insensitive editorial in The Spectator, and in 2004 he was dismissed from his position as shadow arts minister after rumors surfaced of an affair between Johnson and a journalist. Despite such public rebukes, Johnson was reelected to his parliamentary seat in 2005.
Johnson entered into the London mayoral election in July 2007, challenging Labour incumbent Ken Livingstone. During the tightly contested election, he overcame perceptions that he was a gaffe-prone and insubstantial politician by focusing on issues of crime and transportation. On May 1, 2008, Johnson won a narrow victory, seen by many as a repudiation of the national Labour government led by Gordon Brown. Early the following month, Johnson fulfilled a campaign promise by stepping down as Member of Parliament. In 2012 Johnson was reelected mayor, besting Livingstone again. His win was one of the few bright spots for the Conservative Party in the midterm local elections in which it lost more than 800 seats in England, Scotland, and Wales.
While pursuing his political career, Johnson continued to write. His output as an author included Lend Me Your Ears (2003), a collection of essays; Seventy-two Virgins (2004), a novel; and The Dream of Rome (2006), a historical survey of the Roman Empire. In 2014 he added The Churchill Factor: How One Man Made History, which was described by one reviewer as a "breathless romp through the life and times" of Winston Churchill.
Johnson returned to Parliament in 2015, winning the west London seat of Uxbridge and South Ruislip, in an election that saw the Conservative Party capture its first clear majority since the 1990s. He retained his post as mayor of London, and the victory fueled speculation that he would eventually challenge prime minister David Cameron for the leadership of the Conservative Party.
In 2016, during the referendum on the United Kingdom's exit from the European Union, Johnson was an active supporter and propagandist of Brexit. After a referendum in which the Eurosceptics won, it was believed that he would run for the head of the Conservative Party and prime minister of Great Britain. But on June 30, 2016, after his closest associate in the Brexit campaign, Justice Minister Michael Gove himself announced his candidacy for the post of head of the party, Johnson refused to run, officially announcing this at a press conference in London.
On July 13, 2016, Boris was appointed foreign minister in Theresa May's new cabinet. He resigned as foreign minister on July 9, 2018, due to disagreements over the United Kingdom's exit from the European Union.
After Theresa May resigned from the post of leader of the Conservative Party, Boris Johnson announced that he would run for this post. The implication was that if elected, he would also replace May as prime minister of the United Kingdom. In the first five rounds of voting, which took place from June 13 to June 20, Johnson each time took first place by a significant margin over his competitors. By a vote of party members, Johnson won the election with 92,153 votes. On 23 July he officially became the new leader of the British Conservative Party. Boris Johnson took over as prime minister of the United Kingdom on 24 July 2019.
Johnson was baptised a Catholic. At college he abandoned Catholicism and became an Anglican, joining the Church of England. He stated that "his faith comes and goes" and that he is not a serious practising Christian. Johnson views secular humanism positively and sees it as owing more to the classical world than Christian thinking.
Politics
Johnson made no major changes to the mayoral system as developed by Livingstone. He reversed several measures implemented by Livingstone's administration, ending the city's oil deal with Venezuela, abolishing The Londoner newsletter, and scrapping the half-yearly inspections of black cabs. He retained Livingstone projects such as Crossrail and the 2012 Olympic Games. Boris introduced a public bicycle scheme, known as "Boris Bikes." It cost £140 million and was very popular. Johnson commissioned the development of the New Routemaster buses for central London and ordered the construction of a cable car system that crossed the River Thames between Greenwich Peninsula and the Royal Docks.
Boris Johnson also banned drinking alcohol on public transport. During the first Mayoral term, Johnson supported the London Living Wage and endorsed amnesty for illegal migrants.
Johnson appointed himself chair of the Metropolitan Police Authority and pushed for the resignation of Metropolitan Police Commissioner Ian Blair after the latter was criticized for allegedly handing contracts to friends and for his handling of the death of Jean Charles de Menezes. After his resignation as MPA chairman, he was highly supportive of the Metropolitan Police, particularly during the controversy surrounding the death of Ian Tomlinson. Overall crime in London fell during his administration. Johnson collected donations from the city's wealthy for a charitable enterprise, the Mayor's Fund, which he had established to aid disadvantaged youths.
After Johnson became prime minister, the government announced increased public sector spending. It was announced that an extra 20,000 police officers would be hired, the roll-out of high-speed broadband would be sped up, the funding per school pupil would be increased to a minimum of £5,000 and £1.8 billion for upgrades and new equipment at hospitals.
Johnson stated his government will be "pro-China" and expressed support for Chinese President Xi Jinping's infrastructure investment effort, the Belt and Road Initiative. He also promised to keep the United Kingdom "the most open economy in Europe" for Chinese investment. Boris Johnson also supported the European Union - Mercosur Free Trade Agreement.
Johnson has described himself as a One-Nation Tory. As London mayor, he gained a reputation as "a liberal, centre-ground politician."
Views
In 2018, in his satirical article Johnson criticized the then newly implemented Danish law against the wearing of the burqa or niqab. In it, he defended the right of women to wear whatever they chose. He agreed that the burqa is oppressive and that "it is weird and bullying to expect women to cover their faces." In his 2004 novel, Johnson described a black parking inspector: "The louder the rant of the traffic offenders, the more acute are the wardens' feelings of pleasure that they, the stakeless, the outcasts, the niggers, are a valued part of the empire of law, and in a position to chastise the arrogance and selfishness of the indigenous people." In 2012, Boris banned London buses from displaying the adverts of Core Issues Trust, a Christian group, which compared homosexuality to an illness.
Quotations:
"I was at a hospital the other night where I think there were a few coronavirus patients and I shook hands with everybody, you will be pleased to know, and I continue to shake hands. People obviously can make up their own minds but I think the scientific evidence is… our judgment is that washing your hands is the crucial thing."
"We are telling cafes, bars, pubs and restaurants to close tonight as soon as they reasonably can and not to open tomorrow. To be clear they can continue to provide take out services. Night clubs, theatres, gyms and leisure centres should close on the same time scale. These are places where people come together and indeed the whole purpose is to bring people together. Some people will be tempted to go out tonight. Please don't. You may think you are invincible but there is no guarantee you will get mild symptoms. As far as possible we want you to stay at home - that's how we can protect our NHS and save lives."
"We have so far succeeded in the first and most important task we set ourselves as a nation to avoid the tragedy that engulfed other parts of the world."
"Let's get Brexit done, but first my friends let's get breakfast done."
"I just say to everybody in the country, including everyone in Parliament, the fundamental choice is this: Are you going to side with Jeremy Corbyn and those who want to cancel the referendum? Are you going to side with those who want to scrub the democratic verdict of the people - and plunge this country into chaos. Or are you going to side with those of us who want to get on, deliver the mandate of the people and focus with absolute, laser-like precision on the domestic agenda?"
"I do think the EU understands there's an opportunity to do a deal. I think it's going to be touch and go."
"There's a terrible kind of collaboration as it were, going on between people who think they can block Brexit in Parliament and our European friends."
"Preparing urgently and rapidly for the possibility of an [EU] exit without a deal will be my top priority, and it will be the top priority for the civil service too."
"Under no circumstances would we agree to any free-trade deal that put the NHS on the table."
"We are going to energize the country. We are going to get Brexit done on 31 October and take advantage of all the opportunities it will bring with a new spirit of can-do. We are once again going to believe in ourselves, and like some slumbering giant we are going to rise and ping off the guy ropes of self-doubt and negativity."
"We should actively campaign for a public understanding of the benefits of the [UK] union, economic and strategic, for the people and its component nations."
"If you do that you have to answer the question what next? What if the Iranians do rush for a nuclear weapon? Are we seriously saying that we are going to bomb those facilities at Fordo and Natanz? Is that really a realistic possibility? Or do we work round what we have got and push back on Iran together?"
"There's a group of UK business people, wonderful guys who want to invest in Sirte, on the coast, near where Gaddafi was actually captured and executed as some of you may have seen. And they literally have a brilliant vision to turn Sirte, with the help of the municipality of Sirte, to turn it into the next Dubai. The only thing they've got to do is clear the dead bodies away and then they'll be there."
"When I look at what Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was doing, she was simply teaching people journalism, as I understand it. [Neither] Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe nor her family has been informed about what crime she has actually committed. And that I find extraordinary, incredible."
"Take back control of huge sums of money, 350 million pounds a week, and spend it on our priorities such as the NHS."
"After we liberate ourselves from the shackles of Brussels we will be able to create hundreds of thousands of new jobs right across the UK."
"We will be informed by our most important ally that it is in our interests to stay in the EU, no matter how flawed we may feel that organization to be. Never mind the loss of sovereignty; never mind the expense and the bureaucracy and the uncontrolled immigration. The American view is very clear."
Personality
Johnson has a number of nicknames, including "BoJo," a portmanteau of his forename and surname. He has the character of a likable and trustworthy individual with strong intellectual capital.
Johnson purposely cultivates a chaotic look, for instance by specifically ruffling his hair in a certain way. He is blessed with immense charisma, wit, sex appeal, and celebrity gold dust; he is also recognized and loved by millions. Resourceful, cunning, and strategic, he can pull off serious political coups when the greater good happens to coincide with his personal advantage but these aspirations are rarely backed up by concrete achievements, or even detailed plans. Highly ambitious and very competitive, Johnson was born "to wage a ceaseless struggle for supremacy."
Physical Characteristics:
On 27 March 2020, it was announced that Johnson had tested positive for COVID-19. On 5 April, he was admitted to St Thomas' Hospital in London for tests. The next day, Boris was moved to the hospital's intensive care unit. Three days later, he left intensive care unit and left the hospital on 11 April to recuperate at Chequers. There he stayed for two weeks.
Quotes from others about the person
Martin Hammond: "Boris sometimes seems affronted when criticized for what amounts to a gross failure of responsibility."
Martin Hammond: "I think he honestly believes that it is churlish of us not to regard him as an exception, one who should be free of the network of obligation which binds everyone else."
Jeremy Clarkson: "Most politicians, as far as I can work out, are pretty incompetent, and then have a veneer of competence, you do seem to do it the other way around."
Donald Trump: "Good man, he's tough and he's smart. They're saying "Britain Trump," they call him "Britain Trump"."
Chris Patten: "90,000 Conservative members, whose views have become more extreme as their numbers have fallen, recently selected Boris Johnson as their new leader, and thus as the country's new prime minister. In doing so, they have chosen a mendacious chancer. It is no exaggeration to say that Johnson has lied his way to the top, first in journalism and then in politics."
Interests
Painting
Writers
George MacDonald Fraser
Sport & Clubs
Tennis, rugby, bicycling
Music & Bands
The Clash, The Rolling Stones
Connections
In 1987, Johnson married Allegra Mostyn-Owen. They divorced in 1993. Twelve days later Johnson married Marina Wheeler. Five weeks later, their first daughter Lara Lettice Johnson was born. The couple also has two sons - Milo Arthur Johnson and Theodore Apollo Johnson - and a daughter - Cassia Peaches Johnson. In 2018, Johnson and Wheeler separated and began divorce proceedings.
Johnson had an affair with Spectator columnist Petronella Wyatt when he was its editor. In 2009, Helen MacIntyre gave birth to Johnson's daughter. Four years later, the Court of Appeal discharged an injunction banning reporting of his daughter's existence.
In 2020, Johnson announced his engagement with Carrie Symonds and that Symonds was expecting a baby in early summer. Their son, Wilfred Lawrie Nicholas Johnson, was born on 29 April 2020.
Boris Johnson has not disclosed how many children he has.