Public image of Boris Johnson
{{Short description|Public perceptions of British politician}}
File:London Mayor Boris Johnson (2887723532).jpg at the 2008 Mayor Thames Festival during his tenure as Mayor of London.]]{{Boris Johnson sidebar}}
Boris Johnson has attracted commentary throughout his political career. As Mayor of London, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, and in various ministerial positions, Johnson has been considered a controversial or polarising figure in British politics.
Unique aspects of Johnson's image have included his perceived comedic or humorous persona and semi-shambolic appearance. Johnson's supporters have praised him for "getting Brexit done", overseeing the UK's vaccine rollout against COVID-19, as well as providing global leadership following the Russian invasion of Ukraine; conversely, his critics have accused him of lying, elitism and cronyism, with his final months in office mired in a series of scandals.
Johnson's political positions have been described as following one-nation conservatism, whilst political commentators have characterised his political style as being both populist and pragmatic. Johnson's political positions have changed throughout his political career.
Personal image
File:Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson visits Japan (35890109752).jpg painted with the Union Flag in 2017]]
Often known simply as Boris,{{sfnm|1a1=Edwards|1a2=Isaby|1y=2008|1p=43|2a1=Purnell|2y=2011|2p=1}} Johnson has attracted a variety of nicknames, including "BoJo", a portmanteau of his forename and surname.{{cite news |date=6 September 2007 |title=The BoJo, Ken and Bri show |work=New Statesman |location=London |url=http://www.newstatesman.com/200709060012 |access-date=7 July 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071205171926/http://www.newstatesman.com/200709060012 |archive-date=5 December 2007}} Biographer Sonia Purnell described his public persona as "brand Boris", noting he developed it while at the University of Oxford.{{sfn|Purnell|2011|p=91}}
Max Hastings referred to Johnson's public image as a "façade resembling that of P. G. Wodehouse's Gussie Fink-Nottle, allied to wit, charm, brilliance and startling flashes of instability",{{sfn|Purnell|2011|p=103}} while political scientist Andrew Crines stated Johnson displayed "the character of a likable and trustworthy individual with strong intellectual capital".{{sfn|Crines|2013|p=1}} Private Eye editor Ian Hislop has defined him as "Beano Boris" due to his perceived comical nature, saying: "He's our Berlusconi ... He's the only feel-good politician we have, everyone else is too busy being responsible."{{cite news |last1=Frost |first1=Caroline |date=3 April 2013 |title=17 Things We Now Know About Boris Johnson, And His Worthiness, Or Not, To Be PM ... |work=HuffPost |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/04/06/boris-johnson-tv-review-irresistible-rise_n_2949591.html |access-date=29 January 2016 |archive-date=11 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181211055225/https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/04/06/boris-johnson-tv-review-irresistible-rise_n_2949591.html |url-status=live }} To the journalist Dave Hill, Johnson was "a unique figure in British politics, an unprecedented blend of comedian, conman, faux subversive showman and populist media confection".{{sfn|Hill|2016|p=31}}
Johnson purposely cultivates a "semi-shambolic look",{{sfn|Edwards|Isaby|2008|p=74}} for instance, by specifically ruffling his hair in a certain way when he makes public appearances.{{sfnm|1a1=Edwards|1a2=Isaby|1y=2008|1p=74|2a1=Purnell|2y=2011|2p=1|3a1=Gimson|3y=2012|3p=301}} Purnell described him as "a manic self-promoter" who has filled his life with "fun and jokes".{{sfn|Purnell|2011|p=3}} Described by Crines as "a joker",{{sfn|Crines|2013|p=1}} Johnson has said that "humour is a utensil that you can use to sugar the pill and to get important points across".{{sfn|Purnell|2011|p=3}} Purnell wrote colleagues regularly expressed the view that Johnson used people to advance his own interests,{{sfn|Purnell|2011|p=183}} and Gimson wrote that Johnson was "one of the great flatterers of our times".{{sfn|Gimson|2012|p=x}} Purnell commented he deflected serious questions using "a little humour and a good deal of bravado".{{sfn|Purnell|2011|p=214}} According to Gimson, Johnson was "a humane man" who "could also be staggeringly inconsiderate of others" when pursuing his own interests.{{sfn|Gimson|2012|p=108}} Gimson added Johnson has "an excessive desire to be liked".{{sfn|Gimson|2012|p=258}}
File:Boris Johnson pulling a bull in Aberdeen.jpg in 2019]]
Biographer Sonia Purnell wrote in 2011:
{{blockquote|Boris is an original—the opposite of a stereotype, the exception to the rule. Overweight and goosey-fleshed, he's the antithesis of an airbrushed pin-up. He resembles a 'human laundry-basket' and has a habit of forgetting to shower.{{sfn|Purnell|2011|p=2}} He is blessed with immense charisma, wit, sex appeal and celebrity gold dust; he is also recognised and loved by millions—although perhaps less so by many who have had to work closely with him (let alone depend on him). 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.{{sfn|Purnell|2011|p=456}}}}
Gimson stated Johnson "has very bad manners. He tends to be late, does not care about being late, and dresses without much care".{{sfn|Gimson|2012|p=301}} Highly ambitious and very competitive, Johnson was, Gimson wrote, born "to wage a ceaseless struggle for supremacy".{{sfn|Gimson|2012|p=17}} He would be angered with those he thought insulted aspects of his personal life; for instance, when an article in The Telegraph upset Johnson, he emailed commissioning editor Sam Leith with the simple message: "Fuck off and die."{{sfn|Purnell|2011|pp=6–7}} Thus, according to Purnell, Johnson hides his ruthlessness "using bumbling, self-deprecation or humour",{{sfn|Purnell|2011|p=26}} and was a fan of "laddish banter and crude sexual references".{{sfn|Purnell|2011|p=37}}
Political image
File:-UNGA (48791303991).jpg at the 2019 United Nations General Assembly]]
Johnson has been described as a divisive and controversial figure in British politics.{{cite news |date=26 May 2019 |title=Who is Boris Johnson, the man poised to be the next British leader? |website=NBC News |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/who-boris-johnson-man-poised-be-next-british-leader-n1009841 |access-date=22 July 2022 |archive-date=9 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220709121913/https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/who-boris-johnson-man-poised-be-next-british-leader-n1009841 |url-status=live }}{{cite news |last=Davies |first=Guy |date=23 July 2019 |title=Meet Boris Johnson: The UK's controversial new prime minister |website=ABC News |url=https://abcnews.go.com/International/meet-boris-johnson-controversial-figure-uks-prime-minister/story?id=63861394 |access-date=8 May 2021 |archive-date=30 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210430200712/https://abcnews.go.com/International/meet-boris-johnson-controversial-figure-uks-prime-minister/story?id=63861394 |url-status=live }}{{cite news |last=Blitz |first=James |date=23 July 2019 |title=Why is Boris Johnson such a divisive figure? |work=Financial Times |url=https://www.ft.com/content/bd03b736-ac7d-11e9-8030-530adfa879c2 |url-status=live |url-access=subscription |access-date=5 May 2021 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20190724054418/https://www.ft.com/content/bd03b736-ac7d-11e9-8030-530adfa879c2 |archive-date=24 July 2019}} Purnell recognised that during the 2008 London mayoral election, he was "polarising opinions to the extreme",{{sfn|Purnell|2011|p=345}} with critics viewing him as "variously evil, a clown, a racist and a bigot".{{sfn|Purnell|2011|p=365}} Writing in The Guardian, journalist Polly Toynbee referred to him as a "jester, toff, self-absorbed sociopath and serial liar",{{sfn|Gimson|2012|p=279}} while Labour politician Hazel Blears called him "a nasty right-wing elitist, with odious views and criminal friends".{{sfn|Edwards|Isaby|2008|p=110}} He was accused of sexism and homophobia by social media users and members of the LGBT community after referring to Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn as "a big girl's blouse"{{cite news |date=5 September 2019 |title=Big girl's blouse: Johnson faces backlash over Corbyn jibe |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-49593110 |access-date=19 September 2019 |archive-date=15 September 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190915155306/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-49593110 |url-status=live }}{{cite news |last1=Belam |first1=Martin |date=4 September 2019 |title='You great big girl's blouse' – Johnson appears to insult Corbyn during PMQs |language=en |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/sep/04/you-great-big-girls-blouse-boris-johnson-appears-to-insult-corbyn-during-pmqs |access-date=17 February 2022 |archive-date=17 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220217145228/https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/sep/04/you-great-big-girls-blouse-boris-johnson-appears-to-insult-corbyn-during-pmqs |url-status=live }} and former prime minister David Cameron as a "girly swot".{{cite news |date=6 September 2019 |title=Boris Johnson calls David Cameron 'girly swot' in leaked note |work=The Guardian |location=London |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/sep/06/boris-johnson-calls-david-cameron-girly-swot-in-leaked-note |access-date=19 September 2019 |archive-date=16 September 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190916185429/https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/sep/06/boris-johnson-calls-david-cameron-girly-swot-in-leaked-note |url-status=live }} Cameron has said of Johnson: "The thing about the greased piglet is that he manages to slip through other people's hands where mere mortals fail."{{cite news |last=Drake |first=Matt |date=18 October 2019 |title=David Cameron calls Boris Johnson a 'greased piglet' before backing Brexit deal |work=The Independent |location=London |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/david-cameron-boris-johnson-brexit-deal-greasy-pig-harrogate-a9161176.html |access-date=23 October 2019 |archive-date=19 October 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191019135057/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/david-cameron-boris-johnson-brexit-deal-greasy-pig-harrogate-a9161176.html |url-status=live }}
Some commentators have noted his appeal beyond traditional Conservative voters. In 2011, Purnell described Johnson as "the most unconventional, yet compelling politician of the post-Blair era" and that he was "beloved by millions and recognised by all".{{sfn|Purnell|2011|p=1}} Giles Edwards and Jonathan Isaby commented Johnson appealed to "a broad cross-section of the public",{{sfn|Edwards|Isaby|2008|p=47}} with his friends characterising him as a "Heineken Tory" who can appeal to voters that other Conservatives cannot (a reference to the Heineken beer advertisement).{{cite news |last=Kirkup |first=James |date=7 January 2015 |title=Boris Johnson goes looking for Conservative friends in the north |website=The Telegraph |location=London |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/general-election-2015/11329569/Boris-Johnson-goes-looking-for-Conservative-friends-in-the-north.html |url-status=live |url-access=limited |access-date=5 May 2021 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/general-election-2015/11329569/Boris-Johnson-goes-looking-for-Conservative-friends-in-the-north.html |archive-date=10 January 2022}}{{cbignore}} Gimson expressed the view that "people love him because he makes them laugh",{{sfn|Gimson|2012|p=20}} noting that he had become "the darling of the Tory rank and file".{{sfn|Gimson|2012|p=148}}
In 2018, The Economist described Johnson as "the most irresponsible politician the country has seen for many years".{{cite news |date=6 December 2018 |title=Our end-of-year awards celebrate the worst in politics |newspaper=The Economist |url=https://www.economist.com/britain/2018/12/08/our-end-of-year-awards-celebrate-the-worst-in-politics |url-status=live |url-access=subscription |access-date=5 May 2021 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20181206200752/https://www.economist.com/britain/2018/12/08/our-end-of-year-awards-celebrate-the-worst-in-politics |archive-date=6 December 2018 |issn=0013-0613}} In 2019, The Irish Times described him as "a deeply polarising figure, cherished by many older Conservatives but viewed by others as a serial liar and an amoral opportunist who sold Brexit to the British people on the basis of false promises".{{cite news |last1=Staunton |first1=Denis |date=23 June 2019 |title=Boris Johnson: The UK's deeply polarising next prime minister |newspaper=The Irish Times |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/uk/boris-johnson-the-uk-s-deeply-polarising-next-prime-minister-1.3933181 |access-date=8 May 2021 |archive-date=29 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210729062628/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/uk/boris-johnson-the-uk-s-deeply-polarising-next-prime-minister-1.3933181 |url-status=live }} In 2019, Johnson's former boss at The Daily Telegraph Max Hastings described him as "a brilliant entertainer", but accused him of "[caring] for no interest save his own fame and gratification", criticised his leadership abilities and described him as "unfit for national office".{{Cite web |date=24 June 2019 |title=I was Boris Johnson's boss: he is utterly unfit to be prime minister {{!}} Max Hastings |url=http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/jun/24/boris-johnson-prime-minister-tory-party-britain |access-date=19 January 2021 |website=The Guardian |archive-date=26 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126061749/https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/jun/24/boris-johnson-prime-minister-tory-party-britain |url-status=live }} Laura Kuenssberg wrote in December 2021 that public perceptions of Johnson had been damaged by a series of controversies related to Westminster Christmas parties during the COVID-19 pandemic, Owen Paterson, and a Downing Street refurbishment.[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-59615564 Boris Johnson: Is 'Planet Boris' finally going to implode?] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220609035346/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-59615564 |date=2022-06-09 }} BBC The former Speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow, appearing in a Sky News programme, "The Great Debate", described Johnson as "ritually dishonest" and the worst of the twelve prime ministers he had known, with no redeeming features.{{cite news |author=Lamiat Sabin |date=15 February 2022 |title=John Bercow urges 'narcissist' Boris Johnson to 'beetle off into the distance' in scathing attack |work=The Independent |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/john-bercow-boris-johnson-narcissist-b2015177.html |access-date=16 February 2022 |archive-date=15 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220215131931/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/john-bercow-boris-johnson-narcissist-b2015177.html |url-status=live }}
File:Cambridge Analytica protest Parliament Square1.jpg scandal, 29 March 2018]]
From 2016, Johnson evoked comparisons (both ideological and physical) with United States President Donald Trump.{{cite news |last=Chadwick |first=Vince |date=24 May 2016 |title=Donald Trump and Boris Johnson kiss and make Out |work=Politico |url=http://www.politico.eu/article/donald-trump-boris-johnson-kiss-mural-brexit-referendum-leave-remain/ |access-date=22 July 2022 |archive-date=6 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210206063613/https://www.politico.eu/article/donald-trump-boris-johnson-kiss-mural-brexit-referendum-leave-remain/ |url-status=live }}{{cite news |last=Greenslade |first=Roy |author-link=Roy Greenslade |date=29 June 2016 |title=New York Post compares Boris Johnson to Donald Trump |work=The Guardian |location=London |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/greenslade/2016/jun/29/new-york-post-compares-boris-johnson-to-donald-trump |access-date=22 July 2022 |archive-date=6 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210206063615/https://www.theguardian.com/media/greenslade/2016/jun/29/new-york-post-compares-boris-johnson-to-donald-trump |url-status=live }}{{cite news |date=23 March 2016 |title=London mayor Boris Johnson eyes Trump-style insurgency in EU battle |work=Newsweek |agency=Reuters |url=http://www.newsweek.com/boris-johnson-donald-trump-eu-brexit-439957 |access-date=22 July 2022 |archive-date=6 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210206063620/https://www.newsweek.com/boris-johnson-donald-trump-eu-brexit-439957 |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |last=McTague |first=Tom |date=4 October 2021 |title=Is Boris Johnson a Liar? |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2021/10/boris-johnson/620269/ |access-date=18 October 2021 |website=The Atlantic |language=en |archive-date=19 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211019032011/https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2021/10/boris-johnson/620269/ |url-status=live }} In June 2016, former Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg described him as "like Donald Trump with a thesaurus",{{cite news |last=Wright |first=Oliver |date=2 June 2016 |title=EU referendum: Boris Johnson is like Donald Trump 'with a thesaurus', claims Nick Clegg |work=The Independent |location=London |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/eu-referendum-boris-johnson-is-like-donald-trump-with-a-thesaurus-claims-nick-clegg-a7062651.html |access-date=22 July 2022 |archive-date=9 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220709040807/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/eu-referendum-boris-johnson-is-like-donald-trump-with-a-thesaurus-claims-nick-clegg-a7062651.html |url-status=live }} while fellow Conservative MP Kenneth Clarke described him as a "nicer Donald Trump".{{cite news |date=30 May 2016 |title=Ken Clarke: Boris Johnson is just a 'nicer Donald Trump' |work=The Daily Telegraph |location=London |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/05/30/ken-clarke-boris-johnson-is-just-a-nicer-donald-trump/ |url-status=live |url-access=limited |access-date=5 May 2021 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20160718042532/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/05/30/ken-clarke-boris-johnson-is-just-a-nicer-donald-trump/ |archive-date=18 July 2016}} Trump acknowledged the comparison, claiming that British people refer to Johnson as "Britain Trump".{{cite news |date=23 July 2019 |title=Trump on Johnson: 'They call him Britain Trump' |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-us-canada-49090804/trump-on-johnson-they-call-him-britain-trump |access-date=22 July 2022 |archive-date=19 September 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190919002415/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-us-canada-49090804/trump-on-johnson-they-call-him-britain-trump |url-status=live }} Johnson was critical of Trump on several occasions before Trump's election;{{cite news |last1=McCann |first1=Kate |date=21 March 2016 |title=Boris Johnson: 'I was mistaken for Donald Trump' |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/boris-johnson/12200562/Boris-Johnson-I-was-mistaken-for-Donald-Trump.html |url-status=live |work=The Telegraph |archive-url=https://archive.today/20160702131836/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/boris-johnson/12200562/Boris-Johnson-I-was-mistaken-for-Donald-Trump.html |archive-date=2 July 2016 |access-date=5 May 2021 |url-access=limited}}{{cite news |date=5 June 2016 |title=Trump's Muslim comments 'extraordinary': Ex London mayor Boris Johnson |publisher=CNBC |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2016/06/04/trumps-muslim-comments-extraordinary-ex-london-mayor-boris-johnson.html |access-date=22 July 2022 |archive-date=10 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220710031037/https://www.cnbc.com/2016/06/04/trumps-muslim-comments-extraordinary-ex-london-mayor-boris-johnson.html |url-status=live }} he praised Trump as president,{{cite news |last=Kentish |first=Benjamin |date=30 June 2019 |title=Boris Johnson praises Trump, saying US president has 'many, many good qualities' |work=The Independent |location=London |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/trump-boris-johnson-conservative-leadership-migration-mexico-border-b-a8980496.html |access-date=1 July 2019 |archive-date=30 June 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190630144258/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/trump-boris-johnson-conservative-leadership-migration-mexico-border-b-a8980496.html |url-status=live }} but disagreed with some of his policies.{{cite news |last=Merrick |first=Rob |date=26 June 2018 |title=Boris Johnson explains why he 'admires' Trump and refuses to personally condemn his family separation policy |work=The Independent |location=London |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/boris-johnson-donald-trump-refuses-condemn-child-migrant-cages-us-border-mexico-a8417541.html |access-date=26 June 2018 |archive-date=11 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180711234013/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/boris-johnson-donald-trump-refuses-condemn-child-migrant-cages-us-border-mexico-a8417541.html |url-status=live }}{{cite news |last=Crilly |first=Rob |date=7 May 2018 |title=Boris Johnson warns Trump that abandoning Iran nuclear deal could spark 'dash for a bomb' |work=The Daily Telegraph |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/05/07/boris-johnson-warns-trump-abandoning-iran-nuclear-deal-could/ |url-status=live |url-access=subscription |access-date=5 May 2021 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/05/07/boris-johnson-warns-trump-abandoning-iran-nuclear-deal-could/ |archive-date=10 January 2022}}{{cbignore}} Comparisons have also been made between Johnson and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, owing to numerous scandals, similar public images and their informal communications styles.{{Cite web |date=2022-07-18 |title=Goodbye Britain's Berlusconi? Comparing Boris Johnson's premiership to Silvio Berlusconi's |url=https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/politicsandpolicy/goodbye-britains-berlusconi/ |access-date=2022-10-21 |website=British Politics and Policy at LSE |archive-date=2022-10-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221021185051/https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/politicsandpolicy/goodbye-britains-berlusconi/ |url-status=live }}
Johnson's leadership has been viewed as the most scandalous of modern times by historians and biographers, with Andrew Gimson, Anthony Seldon and Tim Bale saying that there had not been such a scandalous prime minister since David Lloyd George in terms of scandal, controversy, and indifference to the rules of public life.{{cite news |date=4 September 2022 |title=The most controversial PM since Lloyd George: historians on Boris Johnson |work=The Observer |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/sep/04/the-most-controversial-pm-since-lloyd-george-historians-on-boris-johnson |access-date=4 September 2022 |archive-date=4 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220904110243/https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/sep/04/the-most-controversial-pm-since-lloyd-george-historians-on-boris-johnson |url-status=live }} Seldon noted Johnson's historic "lack of respect for convention and the constitution", while political historian Steven Fielding noted that, while Johnson's personal life was often aired out more publicly than past prime ministers' due to increased scrutiny since the Profumo affair, "the alacrity with which [Johnson] broke rules and conventions and norms that have defined British politics in the postwar period, that is something that is unique", noting that Johnson's behaviour in public office may have set a new low for other prime ministers to emulate.
=Veracity of statements=
Johnson has been accused of lying or making untruthful or misleading statements throughout his career.{{cite news |last1=Grierson |first1=Jamie |date=10 December 2021 |title=Lies, damned lies: the full list of accusations against Boris Johnson |language=en |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/dec/10/lies-accusations-boris-johnson-full-list-dishonesty-christmas-party |access-date=19 December 2021 |archive-date=15 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211215061451/https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/dec/10/lies-accusations-boris-johnson-full-list-dishonesty-christmas-party |url-status=live }} BBC News described this as a strategy to "bamboozle the listener with a blizzard of verbiage",{{cite news |last1=Kuenssberg |first1=Laura |date=1 May 2021 |title=Boris Johnson: What is the PM's relationship with the truth? |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-56624437 |access-date=19 December 2021 |archive-date=18 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211218191255/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-56624437 |url-status=live }} and a 2021 analysis in The Atlantic suggested Johnson's communication style was a honed political skill that contributed to his popularity. In 2019, The Independent listed his "most notorious untruths", which included fabricating a quotation whilst at The Times for which he was sacked, creating Euromyths while working for The Daily Telegraph in Brussels, misrepresenting events during the Hillsborough disaster while the editor of The Spectator, lying to Conservative leader Michael Howard about his extramarital affair, and promising that leaving the EU would provide £350 million per week for the NHS.{{cite news |last1=Stubley |first1=Peter |date=25 May 2019 |title=Boris Johnson's most infamous lies and untruths |language=en |work=The Independent |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/boris-johnson-lies-conservative-leader-candidate-list-times-banana-brexit-bus-a8929076.html |access-date=19 December 2021 |archive-date=20 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211220041838/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/boris-johnson-lies-conservative-leader-candidate-list-times-banana-brexit-bus-a8929076.html |url-status=live }} The Guardian noted that Johnson "almost never corrects the record in the chamber" and that while Johnson's spokespeople insist he does follow the Ministerial Code of which honesty is part, "No 10 will sometimes acknowledge that an error was made, but more usually brushes aside the complaint or argues that Johnson was misunderstood".{{cite news |last1=Sparrow |first1=Andrew |date=19 April 2021 |title=Parties call for inquiry into Boris Johnson's 'failure to be honest' |language=en |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/apr/19/parties-inquiry-boris-johnson-failurehonest |access-date=19 December 2021 |archive-date=19 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211219165117/https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/apr/19/parties-inquiry-boris-johnson-failurehonest |url-status=live }}
Writing in The Times Literary Supplement, the scholar and former politician Rory Stewart said: "Johnson is the most accomplished liar in public life. Perhaps the best liar ever to serve as prime minister. He has mastered the use of error, omission, exaggeration, diminution, equivocation and flat denial. He has perfected casuistry, circumlocution, false equivalence and false analogy. He is equally adept at the ironic jest, the fib and the grand lie; the weasel word and half-truth; the hyperbolic lie, the obvious lie and the bullshit lie."{{cite news |last1=Woodcock |first1=Andrew |date=5 November 2020 |title=Boris Johnson branded 'most accomplished liar in public life' by former cabinet colleague |language=en |work=The Independent |publisher=Independent Digital News & Media |location=London |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/boris-johnson-liar-rory-stewart-b1614957.html |access-date=5 April 2022 |archive-date=5 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220405162920/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/boris-johnson-liar-rory-stewart-b1614957.html |url-status=live }}{{cite news |last1=Kidd |first1=Patrick |date=6 November 2020 |title=A lie by many other names |language=en |work=The Times |location=London |url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/a-lie-by-many-other-names-8tl7kmc6f |access-date=5 April 2022 |archive-date=5 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220405175251/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/a-lie-by-many-other-names-8tl7kmc6f |url-status=live }}{{cite journal |last1=Jennings |first1=Will |last2=McKay |first2=Lawrence |last3=Stoker |first3=Gerry |date=April 2021 |title=The Politics of Levelling Up |journal=The Political Quarterly |location=Hoboken |publisher=Wiley-Blackwell |volume=92 |issue=2 |pages=302–311 |doi=10.1111/1467-923X.13005 |doi-access=free}}{{cite news |last1=McTague |first1=Tom |date=4 October 2021 |title=Is Boris Johnson a Liar? |language=en |work=The Atlantic |publisher=Emerson Collective |location=Washington |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2021/10/boris-johnson/620269/ |access-date=5 April 2022 |archive-date=19 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211019032011/https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2021/10/boris-johnson/620269/ |url-status=live }} In 2021, the political journalist and author Peter Oborne published a book about the lies told by Johnson, in which he wrote, "I have never encountered a senior British politician who lies and fabricates so regularly, so shamelessly and so systematically as Boris Johnson".{{cite news |date=3 February 2021 |title=The Assault on Truth by Peter Oborne review – Boris Johnson's lies |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2021/feb/03/the-assault-on-truth-by-peter-oborne-review-boris-johnsons-lies |access-date=17 June 2021 |archive-date=24 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624200548/https://www.theguardian.com/books/2021/feb/03/the-assault-on-truth-by-peter-oborne-review-boris-johnsons-lies |url-status=live }} Contemporaneous opposition MPs Dawn Butler (of the Labour Party) and Ian Blackford (of the Scottish National Party) have both openly called Johnson a liar in the House of Commons.{{cite news |last1=Lynch |first1=David |date=30 November 2021 |title=Boris Johnson 'has demonstrated himself to be liar', SNP's Ian Blackford claims |language=en |work=The Independent |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/ian-blackford-boris-johnson-prime-minister-conservative-mps-snp-b1967129.html |access-date=19 December 2021 |archive-date=10 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211210023956/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/ian-blackford-boris-johnson-prime-minister-conservative-mps-snp-b1967129.html |url-status=live }}{{cite news |last1=Walker |first1=Peter |date=26 July 2021 |title=Dawn Butler was right to call Boris Johnson a liar, says Keir Starmer |language=en |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/jul/26/dawn-butler-was-right-to-call-boris-johnson-a-liar-says-keir-starmer |access-date=19 December 2021 |archive-date=13 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211213191323/https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/jul/26/dawn-butler-was-right-to-call-boris-johnson-a-liar-says-keir-starmer |url-status=live }} Laura Kuenssberg, political editor for BBC News, noted that it was "rare for opposition parties to accuse a prime minister, on the record, of lying". In January 2022, Labour leader Keir Starmer accused Johnson of lying about a Downing Street party during lockdown in May 2020.{{cite news |date=11 January 2022 |title=PM accused of lying about lockdown party after email proves one was held |language=en |work=ITV News |url=https://www.itv.com/news/2022-01-11/calls-for-pm-to-come-clean-and-address-mps-amid-lockdown-party-allegations |access-date=12 January 2022 |archive-date=12 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220112011809/https://www.itv.com/news/2022-01-11/calls-for-pm-to-come-clean-and-address-mps-amid-lockdown-party-allegations |url-status=live }} Speaking in the Commons on 31 January 2022, Johnson falsely accused Starmer of not prosecuting the serial sex offender Jimmy Savile when Starmer was Director of Public Prosecutions.{{cite news |date=3 February 2022 |title=No evidence for Boris Johnson's claim about Keir Starmer and Jimmy Savile |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/60213975 |access-date=3 February 2022 |archive-date=8 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220208163011/https://www.bbc.com/news/60213975 |url-status=live }}{{cite news |date=3 February 2022 |title=Boris Johnson's policy chief Munira Mirza resigns over PM's Savile remarks |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-60250036 |access-date=3 February 2022 |archive-date=3 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220203160344/https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-60250036 |url-status=live }}{{cite news |date=3 February 2022 |title=Top aide quits as UK PM Johnson backs down over Savile barb at rival |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/uk-pm-johnson-clarifies-savile-barb-opposition-leader-2022-02-03/ |access-date=3 February 2022 |archive-date=3 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220203133623/https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/uk-pm-johnson-clarifies-savile-barb-opposition-leader-2022-02-03/ |url-status=live }}
=Allegations of racism and Islamophobia=
{{See also|Racism in the UK Conservative Party|Islamophobia in the UK Conservative Party}}
In August 2018, The Daily Telegraph published a satirical article by Johnson criticising the then newly implemented Danish law against the wearing of Islamic face veils (i.e., the burqa or niqāb). In it, he defended the right of women to wear whatever they chose. He also agreed the burqa is oppressive and that "it is weird and bullying to expect women to cover their faces" and commented that he could "find no scriptural authority for the practice in the Koran". He stated that it seemed "absolutely ridiculous that people should choose to go around looking like letter boxes" and that "[i]f a female student turned up at school or at a university lecture looking like a bank robber", then he "should feel fully entitled{{emdash}}like Jack Straw{{emdash}}
Writing for The Telegraph in 2002, Johnson referred to a visit by then prime minister Tony Blair: "What a relief it must be for Blair to get out of England. It is said that the Queen has come to love the Commonwealth, partly because it supplies her with regular cheering crowds of flag-waving piccaninnies." In the same article he referred to African people as having "watermelon smiles".{{cite web |last1=Bienkov |first1=Adam |title=Boris Johnson called gay men 'tank-topped bumboys' and black people 'piccaninnies' with 'watermelon smiles' |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/boris-johnson-record-sexist-homophobic-and-racist-comments-bumboys-piccaninnies-2019-6?r=US&IR=T |website=Business Insider |access-date=2022-07-22 |archive-date=2022-07-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220729104659/https://www.businessinsider.com/boris-johnson-record-sexist-homophobic-and-racist-comments-bumboys-piccaninnies-2019-6?r=US&IR=T |url-status=live }}
In his 2004 comic novel Seventy-Two Virgins, Johnson described the thoughts of a black parking inspector who had been subjected to racist abuse: "Faced with such disgusting behaviour, some traffic wardens respond with a merciless taciturnity. 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 the same book, the narrator refers to the media being controlled by Jewish oligarchs.{{cite web |last1=Stefano |first1=Mark Di |title=Prime Minister Boris Johnson Used The N-Word In A 2004 Comic Novel |url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/markdistefano/boris-johnson-n-word-novel |website=BuzzFeed |access-date=2022-07-22 |archive-date=2022-03-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220331170908/https://www.buzzfeed.com/markdistefano/boris-johnson-n-word-novel |url-status=live }}
In September 2019, Labour MP Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi called on Johnson to apologise for the comments he had made about burqa-wearing Muslim women in The Telegraph. Johnson declined to apologise, stating that his remarks had come as part of a "strong liberal defence of everybody's right to wear whatever they want".{{cite news |last=Woodcock |first=Andrew |date=4 September 2019 |title=Boris Johnson faces stinging attack over 'derogatory, racist and Islamophobic' remarks |website=The Independent |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/boris-johnson-islamophobia-pmqs-tanmanjeet-singh-dhesi-muslim-letterbox-racist-a9091506.html |access-date=22 July 2022 |archive-date=7 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220707082844/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/boris-johnson-islamophobia-pmqs-tanmanjeet-singh-dhesi-muslim-letterbox-racist-a9091506.html |url-status=live }}
According to Dave Hill in The Guardian, Johnson's views on Islam have evolved. After the 2005 bombings, he questioned the loyalty of British Muslims and said Islamophobia was a "natural reaction". But by 2008, he blamed terrorism on a minority of Muslims who distort the Qur'an. And in 2009, he urged Britons to visit their local mosques and learn more about Islam.{{cite news |author=Dave Hill |title=Boris Johnson converts to Islam |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/davehillblog/2009/sep/08/boris-johnson-islam-east-london-mosque |access-date=2022-07-22 |archive-date=2022-03-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220331171531/https://www.theguardian.com/uk/davehillblog/2009/sep/08/boris-johnson-islam-east-london-mosque |url-status=live }}
Ratings and polling
{{Further|Leadership approval opinion polling for the 2024 United Kingdom general election|Leadership approval opinion polling for the 2019 United Kingdom general election}}
In April 2022, a poll by JLPartners found voters most frequently described the prime minister as a 'liar', followed by 'incompetent' and 'untrustworthy'. Only 16% of respondents described Johnson with positive language while over 70% used negative language.[https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/boris-johnson-labour-partygate-latest-b2059914.html Boris Johnson news – live: PM 'to give his version of events' as most Britons think him a liar post-Partygate] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220418133201/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/boris-johnson-labour-partygate-latest-b2059914.html |date=2022-04-18 }} The Independent
In popular culture
{{See also|Category:Cultural depictions of Boris Johnson}}
File:KennethBranaghApr2011.jpg in the 2022 Sky Atlantic drama This England.]]
The political career of Johnson has been the subject of several television docudramas:
- Stuart McQuarrie in the 2005 television film A Very Social Secretary{{cite web |title=A Very Social Secretary |url=http://www.daybreakpictures.com/copy-of-the-government-inspector |access-date=4 January 2021 |work=Daybreak Pictures |archive-date=4 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210604021706/http://www.daybreakpictures.com/copy-of-the-government-inspector |url-status=live }}
- Christian Brassington in the More4 drama documentary When Boris Met Dave{{cite news |author=Parker, Robin |date=27 July 2009 |title=Cast emerges for More4's young Tories drama |work=Broadcast |url=http://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/news/commissioning/cast-emerges-for-more4s-young-tories-drama/5003941.article |access-date=22 July 2022 |archive-date=20 August 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160820035529/http://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/news/commissioning/cast-emerges-for-more4s-young-tories-drama/5003941.article |url-status=live }}
- Will Barton in the 2017 BBC-produced drama Theresa vs. Boris: How May Became PM{{cite news |last=O'Donovan |first=Gerard |date=18 June 2017 |title=Theresa v Boris: How May Became PM review: an odd yet ambitious concotion |work=The Daily Telegraph |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/2017/06/18/theresa-v-boris-may-became-pm-review-odd-yet-ambitious-concotion/ |url-status=live |url-access=subscription |access-date=5 May 2021 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/2017/06/18/theresa-v-boris-may-became-pm-review-odd-yet-ambitious-concotion/ |archive-date=10 January 2022}}{{cbignore}}{{cite web |last=Wollaston |first=Sam |date=19 June 2017 |title=Theresa vs Boris: How May Became PM review – a timely mix of treachery and Mayhem |url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/jun/19/theresa-vs-boris-how-may-became-pm-review-a-timely-mix-of-treachery-and-mayhem |work=The Guardian |access-date=22 July 2022 |archive-date=24 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190724082322/https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/jun/19/theresa-vs-boris-how-may-became-pm-review-a-timely-mix-of-treachery-and-mayhem |url-status=live }}
- Richard Goulding in the 2019 HBO and Channel 4 drama Brexit: The Uncivil War{{cite news |last=Bennett |first=Asa |date=28 December 2018 |title=Brexit: The Uncivil War review: Benedict Cumberbatch is superb in this thrilling romp through the referendum |work=The Daily Telegraph |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/0/brexit-uncivil-war-review-benedict-cumberbatch-gripping-watch/ |url-status=live |url-access=limited |access-date=5 May 2021 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20181230134423/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/0/brexit-uncivil-war-review-benedict-cumberbatch-gripping-watch/ |archive-date=30 December 2018 |issn=0307-1235}}{{cite news |last=Elliott |first=Matthew |author-link=Matthew Elliott (political strategist) |date=4 January 2019 |title=Vote Leave's Matthew Elliott on Channel 4's Brexit: The Uncivil War |work=Financial Times |url=https://www.ft.com/content/49f2b912-0f67-11e9-acdc-4d9976f1533b |url-status=live |url-access=subscription |access-date=5 May 2021 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20190124161217/https://www.ft.com/content/49f2b912-0f67-11e9-acdc-4d9976f1533b |archive-date=24 January 2019 |quote=Screenwriter James Graham has turned the campaign into a compelling story – and nailed my mannerisms.}}
- Kenneth Branagh in the 2022 Sky Atlantic drama This England{{Cite web |title=Kenneth Branagh transforms into Boris Johnson in uncanny first-look photo for new coronavirus drama |url=https://news.sky.com/story/kenneth-branagh-transforms-into-boris-johnson-in-uncanny-first-look-photo-for-new-coronavirus-drama-12228601 |access-date=2022-07-22 |website=Sky News |language=en |archive-date=2021-02-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210225191812/https://news.sky.com/story/kenneth-branagh-transforms-into-boris-johnson-in-uncanny-first-look-photo-for-new-coronavirus-drama-12228601 |url-status=live }}
Johnson's bumbling mannerisms and distinctive hairstyle have also made him the subject of parody:
- In the 2008–2012 children's TV cartoon series Ben & Holly's Little Kingdom, the mayor of Fairy Town, voiced by Alexander Armstrong, is based on Johnson, who was mayor of London at the time
- Johnson is voiced by Lewis MacLeod in the fourth and fifth series of 2DTV{{cite web |title=2DTV cast and crew credits |url=https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/2dtv/cast_crew/ |access-date=4 January 2021 |work=British Comedy Guide |archive-date=4 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210604021937/https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/2dtv/cast_crew/ |url-status=live }}
- MacLeod also voices Johnson in Newzoids{{cite web |date=9 May 2016 |title=Newzoids returns for second series |url=http://www.itv.com/presscentre/press-releases/newzoids-returns-second-series |access-date=14 December 2020 |publisher=ITV Press Centre |archive-date=8 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108092344/https://www.itv.com/presscentre/press-releases/newzoids-returns-second-series |url-status=live }}
- Johnson is portrayed as a half man-half dog personage who would rather engage in acts of canine behaviour like chasing his tail than answering questions, in Headcases. He is voiced by Jon Culshaw{{cite web |title=Headcases cast and crew credits |url=https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/headcases/cast_crew/ |access-date=4 January 2021 |work=British Comedy Guide |archive-date=16 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210116215018/https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/headcases/cast_crew/ |url-status=live }}
- The music video for Stormzy's "Vossi Bop" features backup dancers donning wigs similar to Boris's hairstyle and throwing them on the ground just as the line "fuck the government, fuck Boris" comes in{{Cite web |last=Welsh |first=Daniel |date=26 April 2019 |title=Stormzy Lays Into Boris Johnson In Music Video For New Single Vossi Bop |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/stormzy-vossi-bop-new-single-video-watch_uk_5cc2d6ece4b08846403ca0c8 |access-date=10 Jun 2023 |website=HuffPost UK |language=en |archive-date=10 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230610173029/https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/stormzy-vossi-bop-new-single-video-watch_uk_5cc2d6ece4b08846403ca0c8 |url-status=live }}
- In 2019, James Corden portrayed Johnson in a sketch on Saturday Night Live{{cite news |last=White |first=Adam |date=8 December 2020 |title=Saturday Night Live: James Corden plays Boris Johnson in 'good-looking bad boys of NATO' sketch |work=The Independent |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/james-corden-boris-johnson-saturday-night-live-paul-rudd-trump-a9237691.html |access-date=15 December 2020 |archive-date=29 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201129075106/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/james-corden-boris-johnson-saturday-night-live-paul-rudd-trump-a9237691.html |url-status=live }}
- In the 2020 revival of Spitting Image, Johnson's puppet is voiced by Matt Forde{{cite news |last=Carr |first=Flora |date=2 October 2020 |title=Spitting Image puppets – here's who appears in the BritBox revival |work=Radio Times |url=https://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2020-10-02/spitting-image-puppet-characters/ |access-date=15 December 2020 |archive-date=10 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201110014337/https://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2020-10-02/spitting-image-puppet-characters/ |url-status=live }}
Johnson has been the subject of British music and music media:
- Singer Robbie Williams portrays Boris Johnson in the music video for his 2020 festive single "Can't Stop Christmas"{{cite news |last=Clarke |first=Patrick |date=14 December 2020 |title=Watch Robbie Williams play Boris Johnson in video for festive single 'Can't Stop Christmas' |work=NME |url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/watch-robbie-williams-play-boris-johnson-in-video-for-festive-single-cant-stop-christmas-2838258 |access-date=15 December 2020 |archive-date=14 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201214100708/https://www.nme.com/news/music/watch-robbie-williams-play-boris-johnson-in-video-for-festive-single-cant-stop-christmas-2838258 |url-status=live }}
- Johnson was the focus of the 2020 song "Boris Johnson Is a Fucking Cunt" by Kunt and the Gang,{{Cite web |last=Greig |first=James |date=23 December 2020 |title=A Song Called 'Boris Johnson Is a Fucking C*nt' Could Be Christmas Number 1 |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/a-song-called-boris-johnson-is-a-fucking-cnt-could-be-christmas-number-1/ |access-date=31 January 2022 |website=Vice |language=en |archive-date=23 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201223123107/https://www.vice.com/en/article/akdj9g/a-song-called-boris-johnson-is-a-fucking-cnt-could-be-christmas-number-1 |url-status=live }} which reached number five on the UK Singles Chart. He was also the focus of the single's follow-up, "Boris Johnson Is Still a Fucking Cunt", released in 2021{{cite web |date=25 December 2020 |title=Official Singles Chart Top 100: 25 December 2020 – 31 December 2020 |url=https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/singles-chart/20201225/7501/ |access-date=9 December 2021 |website=Official Charts Company |archive-date=21 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211021201956/https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/singles-chart/20201225/7501/ |url-status=live }}
See also
References
=Sources=
{{Refbegin|30em|indent=yes}}
- {{cite book |title=Boris v. Ken: How Boris Johnson Won London |last1=Edwards |first1=Giles |last2=Isaby |first2=Jonathan |year=2008 |publisher=Politico's |location=London |isbn=978-1-84275-225-8}}
- {{cite journal |title=Why did Boris Johnson win the 2012 mayoral election? |last=Crines |first=Andrew S. |journal=Public Policy and Administration Research |volume=3 |issue=9 |pages=1–7 |year=2013 }}
- {{cite book |last=Gimson |first=Andrew |title=Boris: The Rise of Boris Johnson |edition=second |publisher=Simon & Schuster |year=2012 |title-link=Boris: The Rise of Boris Johnson }}
- {{cite book |last=Hill |first=Dave |year=2016 |title=Zac Versus Sadiq: The Fight to Become London Mayor |publisher=Double Q |isbn=978-1-911079-20-0 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qn0rnQAACAAJ |access-date=30 July 2022 |archive-date=19 September 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240919013201/https://books.google.com/books?id=qn0rnQAACAAJ |url-status=live }}
- {{cite book |last=Purnell |first=Sonia |author-link=Sonia Purnell |title=Just Boris: Boris Johnson: The Irresistible Rise of a Political Celebrity |publisher=Aurum Press Ltd |location=London |year=2011 |isbn=978-1-84513-665-9 |url=https://archive.org/details/justborisirresis0000purn }}
{{Refend}}
{{Boris Johnson}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, Boris}}