Boris Johnson is the outgoing United Kingdom Prime Minister who served in said position from 2019 to 2022. The 58-year-old is set to be replaced by fellow Conservative Party member Liz Truss, who defeated Rishi Sunak in the party leadership election. Both Truss and Sunak had served on Johnson’s cabinet during the latter’s premiership.

Who is Boris Johnson?

Boris Johnson, the outgoing British PM, was born in New York City in 1964 to Stanley Johnson, a student of economics, and Charlotte Fawcett, an artist. His parents moved to England the following year.

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Johnson attended Eton College where he studied English and the Classics. He was the president of the college’s debating society and was friends with Charles Spencer, the brother of Princess Diana.

After Eton, Johnson enrolled himself at Oxford University where he was granted a scholarship to study Literae Humaniores (classics). During his time at Oxford, Johnson was the secretary and later president of the university’s debating society, the Oxford Union.

Johnson began his professional career as a journalist. He worked with The Times as a graduate trainee but was dismissed because of falsely attributing a made-up quote to his godfather Colin Lucas. He continued his work as a journalist with The Daily Telegraph and The Spectator before being elected a Member of Parliament from Henley in 2001. 

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Johnson was also the Mayor of London from 2008 to 2016, winning his second term in 2012. He returned to the UK Parliament in 2015 as an MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip.

He became Foreign Secretary in 2016 and in 2019, became the Conservative Party leader and replaced Theresa May as the UK’s Prime Minister.

Under Johnson’s leadership, the UK voted in favour of Brexit- which saw Britain exit the European Union. He received criticism for social gatherings organized at 10 Downing Street during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A number of Conservative Party members announced their resignations after the Partygate scandal and sexual misconduct allegations against Tory Chief Whip, Chris Pincher. This led to Johnson resigning from his post on July 7, 2022.