Boris Johnson

Boris Johnson (born June 19, 1964) is a British politician, author, and journalist who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from July 2019 to September 2022. Before his premiership, Johnson was the Mayor of London for two consecutive terms (2008-2016), where he oversaw the 2012 London Olympics and implemented popular cycling infrastructure programs. As an MP and Foreign Secretary under Theresa May, Johnson became one of the prominent faces of the Leave campaign in the 2016 Brexit referendum, helping secure Britain's decision to leave the European Union. His path to the premiership came amid political turmoil following Brexit's aftermath, and he won the Conservative Party leadership election in 2019. As Prime Minister, Johnson initially pursued Brexit, negotiating the UK-EU withdrawal agreement, but his tenure was increasingly overshadowed by the COVID-19 pandemic, which he famously dismissed before contracting the virus himself. His government faced numerous scandals, including the infamous Partygate scandal involving lockdown-breaking gatherings at Downing Street. Johnson resigned in September 2022 after numerous ministerial resignations, leaving office with low popularity ratings. His colorful personality, distinctive blonde hair, and rhetorical style made him one of the most recognizable politicians of the 2010s-2020s.