In the recent month, following Theresa May’s resignation, Queen Elizabeth II appointed a new British Prime Minister: Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson. He leads the Conservative Party and supports the main ideas behind Brexit. In an interview in 2013, Johnson described the possible title of Prime Minister as a “tough job” and his chances of being it “like finding Elvis on Mars.” How did he rise up to become the new British PM?
Johnson lived a modest childhood in Manhattan’s Upper East Side. His family was of a diversity of religions. In reference to that, Johnson described himself as a “one-man melting pot,” with a combination of Christians, Jews and Muslims as great-grandparents. In 1977, Johnson received the King’s Scholarship to study at Eton College. This public boarding school’s history and influence (it was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI) has made of it one of the most distinguished schools in the world. Johnson’s family must have been welloff, as education at Eton is very expensive.
In 1987, Johnson married Mostyn-Owen. This was around the time when controversies about him exploded. First, soon after the wedding Johnson found a job at The Times. In an article he wrote about the archaeological discovery of Edward II’s palace, he made up a quote and falsely claimed it to be from Colin Lucas, a British historian. The journal’s editor discovered the deception and fired Johnson. Second, after being fired, Johnson secured a place at The Daily Telegraph. The articles he wrote then were heavily criticized, and Chris Patten, a British politician, even stated that Johnson was “one of the greatest exponents of fake journalism.”
How exactly was Johnson chosen by his colleagues, and then approved by the Queen, even amidst all those controversies? It has to be related to his political views and ideologies. As a past London mayor, Johnson has gained a reputation of a “liberal, centre-ground politician.” Johnson describes himself as “one-nation Tory,” or one-nation conservative. As said before, he deeply supports Brexit, and has in fact decided that on October 31st, the United Kingdom will leave the European Union “no ifs, or buts.”
Being a Prime Minister certainly has its advantages, but it comes with a bad side: the protesters and the opponents. It is not possible to have everyone on your side; a lot of people disagree with Boris as well as with his ideas and think that he has trouble telling the truth. Will the new Prime Minister stand up to the challenge and perform professionally, even against all the criticisms, or will he fall down under the pressure of an entire country on top of him?