[673], On 8 July 2021, the day after saying he was "apprehensive" about the future of Afghanistan following what was then the impending withdrawal of US troops, whilst announcing the near completion of British troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, Johnson expressed the view that there was "no military path to victory for the Taliban". Shortly after 4am local time on February 24, 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine and world leaders . [262] Johnson resigned as MPA chairman in January 2010,[254] but throughout his mayoralty was highly supportive of the Metropolitan Police, particularly during the controversy surrounding the death of Ian Tomlinson. It put my suspicions to rest that he was Russian. [283] In 2012, Johnson was re-elected as mayor. [460], In October 2019, Parliament was dissolved, and an election called for 12December. [313][314] In light of the remark, a King's College London student society revoked a speaking invitation it had extended to him. The following day, Johnson was elected leader with 92,153 votes (66%) to Hunt's 46,656 (34%). ", "Boris Johnson's first wife marries again", "Who is Boris Johnson's first wife, former Tatler cover girl Allegra Mostyn-Owen? Boris Johnson has been accused of intervening in the decision to give a Russian-born media mogul a peerage after warnings it posed a national security risk. [576] There were immediate calls across the House for Johnson to resign, voiced mainly by the leaders of the opposition parties. [196] A sequel, After Rome, focused on early Islamic history. [725] Some commentators have likened aspects of Johnson's political style to Trumpism,[727][728][729] although others have argued against this, saying that Johnson's stance on matters such as social policy, immigration and free trade is liberal. [63] Matriculating at the university in late 1983,[64] he was one of a generation of Oxford undergraduates who were later to dominate British politics and media in the second decade of the 21st century; among them David Cameron, William Hague, Michael Gove, Jeremy Hunt and Nick Boles, who all went on to become senior Conservative Party politicians. During the meetings, Miller and Johnson "swapped speech-writing ideas and tips". explored the German origins of his middle name Pfeffel. [330][331], Some journalists and foreign politicians criticised Johnson's appointment because of his history of controversial statements about other countries. [343] In September 2016, human rights groups accused him of blocking the UN inquiry into Saudi war crimes in Yemen. [830][831], In 2019, Johnson was living with Carrie Symonds, the daughter of Matthew Symonds, co-founder of The Independent newspaper. [355], In April 2017, Johnson said that Gibraltar's sovereignty was "not going to change" after Brexit. [539] Cummings wrote on his blog that the plans were "unethical, foolish, possibly illegal" and "almost certainly broke the rules on proper disclosure of political donations if conducted in the way he intended. [131][132] After these appearances, he came to be recognised on the street by the public, and was invited to appear on other television shows, such as Top Gear, Parkinson, Breakfast with Frost, and the political show Question Time. Britain's former prime minister, Boris Johnson, has said that President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia made a veiled threat to fire a missile at him, a claim . Johnson initially called the claims "an inverted pyramid of piffle". [165] His 2001 book, Friends, Voters, Countrymen: Jottings on the Stump, recounted that year's election campaign,[166] while 2003's Lend Me Your Ears collected together previously published columns and articles. 58% believe Johnson should give up his seat in Parliament if an inquiry due in February 2023 finds he lied over Partygate. [429][430] As of 2September 2019, three separate court cases challenging Johnson's action were in progress or scheduled to take place,[431] and on 11September, three Scottish judges ruled the prorogation of the UK Parliament to be unlawful. . When interviewed in January 2019, he said he had not mentioned Turkey during the campaign. [313][316], Johnson supported Vote Leave's statement that the government was committed to Turkish accession to the EU at the earliest possible opportunity, contradicting the Britain Stronger in Europe campaign's view that Turkey "is not an issue in this referendum and it shouldn't be". [423] The government subsequently announced 2.1bn of funding to prepare for a no-deal Brexit on 31October. You can kinda see it, he has eyes as blue as ice and hair as white as a polar bear with a Russian first name. He had been offered a promotion to chief of staff before his departure. [756], Johnson has been described by various biographers and commentators as having a light hearted and charming persona,[757][758][759][760][761] many of whom suggest he has put significant thought and effort into developing this version of himself throughout his adult life. [238] In November 2013, Johnson announced major changes to the operation of London Underground, including the extension of operating hours to run through the night at weekends. "This is going to be a European war, a fully-fledged war," Zelensky added. [211] Because of these problems, many in the Conservative Party initially distanced themselves from Johnson's administration, fearing it would be counterproductive to achieving a Conservative victory in the 2010 general election. Javid said that this was so that departments would be free to plan for the planned Brexit date of 31October 2019, but there was speculation that the increased spending was to gain popularity in preparation for a possible election in autumn 2019. [90] In early 1989, Johnson was appointed to the newspaper's Brussels bureau to report on the European Commission,[91] remaining in the post until 1994. [504][505], The Johnson ministry has been accused of cronyism in their assignment of contracts related to the pandemic response. [216][217][218], During his first administration, Johnson was embroiled in several personal scandals. He also responded to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine by imposing sanctions on Russia and authorising foreign aid and weapons shipments to Ukraine. Thomas John Johnson (c1816-c1861) 39. [161] In August 2004, he backed unsuccessful impeachment procedures against Prime Minister Tony Blair for "high crimes and misdemeanours" regarding the war,[162] and in December 2006 described the invasion as "a colossal mistake and misadventure". Francis Brun from Switzerland (1856-1935) m. Margaret Johnson from Yorkshire (1857-1942) in London in 1880 [199][200] In September, he was selected after gaining 79 per cent of the vote in a public London-wide primary. "[810], In 1987, Johnson married Allegra Mostyn-Owen, daughter of the art historian William Mostyn-Owen and Italian writer Gaia Servadio. [503] This resulted in a loss of confidence in the government and specifically its response to the pandemic, referred to as 'the Cummings effect' in a study in The Lancet. [375], Johnson condemned the persecution of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar,[376] comparing the situation with the displacement of Palestinians in 1948. Boris Johnson's links to Russia have come under the spotlight since his decision to block the publication of a report into Russian election interference. [7] Amidst the Partygate scandal, Johnson became the first ever Prime Minister to break the law while in office after being issued a fixed penalty notice in April 2022 for breaching COVID-19 regulations during lockdowns. Born Alexander Boris DE PFEFFEL JOHNSON British Conservative Party politician, who has served as Mayor of London since 2008 Born on June 19, 1964 in New York City, New York, USA , United States (58 years) Born on June 19 42 Family tree Report an error Kemal Ali 1867 - 1922 Brun Winifred Emma Mary 1883 - 1909 Williams Stanley Fred 1880 - 1955 The panel was tasked with monitoring and investigating financial management at the London Development Agency and the Greater London Authority. Boris Johnson is known for having a big mouth and associating with some unsavoury characters, most notably former KGB officer Alexander Lebedev and his son, Evgeny Lebedev, which led to what was called a breach of national security. [803] To be married in the Catholic Church, Johnson needed to have his two previous marriages proven to be invalid by reason of lack of canonical form. "[593], The Guardian reported that leaflets for the May 2022 local elections referred to candidates as local Conservatives and avoided pictures of Johnson. [169] To manage the stress, he took up jogging and cycling,[170] and became so well known for the latter that Gimson suggested he was "perhaps the most famous cyclist in Britain". [657], Johnson supported the European UnionMercosur Free Trade Agreement,[658] which would form one of the world's largest free trade areas. Boris Johnson, in full Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson, (born June 19, 1964, New York City, New York, U.S.), American-born British journalist and Conservative Party politician who became prime minister of the United Kingdom in July 2019. [644], In early April 2022, Johnson decided to ban conversion therapy for sexual orientation but not for transgender Britons, despite previous commitment to end such treatment for all LGBT people. [609][610] On 6 June 2022, the Conservative Party announced that Johnson would face a vote of confidence in his leadership of the party, after at least 54 Conservative MPs wrote no-confidence letters to Sir Graham Brady, the chairman of the 1922 Committee, meeting the threshold required to arrange such a vote. This was a reduction on the 2035 target set in February that year, which brought forward the previous deadline of 2040. Consulting; he resigned after a week. [440], In October 2019, following bilateral talks between Johnson and Taoiseach Leo Varadkar,[441] the UK and EU agreed to a revised deal, which replaced the backstop with a new Northern Ireland Protocol. [137] His father-in-law Charles Wheeler and others strongly criticised him for allowing Spectator columnist Taki Theodoracopulos to publish racist and antisemitic language in the magazine. [491], On 27March, it was announced that Johnson had tested positive for COVID-19. The election resulted in the Conservative Party winning 43.6% of the vote and a parliamentary landslide majority of 80 seats its biggest since 1987 under Margaret Thatcher. [656] Under these plans, up to 95% of the UK's electricity could come from low-carbon power sources by 2030. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson arrives at the airport in Kyiv, Ukraine, February 1, 2022. [717][725] In 2019, Al Jazeera editor James Brownswell said that although Johnson had "leaned to the right" since the Brexit campaign, he remained "slightly more socially liberal" than much of his party. [547][548] Angela Rayner, Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, wrote to Lord Geidt asking for evidence of the lack of conflict of interest and said that it was "frankly scarcely believable" that Johnson did not know who was funding the refurbishments. Before the election, Johnson published Johnson's Life of London, a work of popular history that the historian A. N. Wilson characterised as a "coded plea" for votes. MyHeritage has discovered that Boris Johnson, Prime Minister of the UK, is distantly related to Dr. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission. [598] The claim linking the failure of the CPS to prosecute Savile to Starmer originated in 2018 on the right-wing Guido Fawkes blog, and was amplified in April 2020 by the far-right fake news website Politicalite. The prime minister has demeaned his office. Boris Johnson (Q180589) Boris Johnson. [197] As a result of his various activities, in 2007, he earned 540,000, making him the UK's third-highest-earning MP that year. [458]), On 5September 2019, Johnson's brother Jo Johnson resigned from the government and announced that he would step down as MP, describing his position as "torn between family and national interest". Under the influence of this milieu and of his wife, Johnson moved in a more liberal direction on issues like climate change, LGBT rights and race relations. [762][763][764][765] He has been noted as making significant use of humour in relation to this, sometimes for explicitly political purposes. [339] When questioned by a journalist whether he would apologise for the poem, Johnson dismissed the matter as "trivia". [669] Johnson's government argued that genocide should be decided by the International Criminal Court. Since he was baptised Catholic, but his previous weddings were not conferred by the Catholic Church, they are considered putatively invalid. [71] Alongside Guppy, he co-edited the university's satirical magazine Tributary. Yes, Boris Johnson can speak French. [835][836], On 29 May 2021, Johnson married Symonds in a secret ceremony at Westminster Cathedral attended by 30 guests,[803][837] becoming the first prime minister to marry in office since Lord Liverpool married Mary Chester in 1822. [796] Johnson partakes in cycling, tennis and pilates, and was formerly an avid runner before having to give it up owing to knee problems. Boris Johnson's departure from Downing Street, on September 6, triggered an immediate mood shift in London toward the EU | Dan Kitwood/Getty Images. Johnson tweeted that it was "absolutely disgraceful" and thanked the police for acting swiftly. Elders of the Circassian community famous for their. This took place despite an increase in cases driven by the Delta variant. [654][655], In April 2022, Johnson announced that eight more nuclear reactors would be built on existing nuclear power plant sites, and called for an expansion in wind energy. His father then worked at the. [696] He later announced the UK would phase out Russian oil by the end of 2022. [635], By the morning of 7 July, the newly installed Chancellor of the Exchequer, Nadhim Zahawi, publicly stated his belief that Johnson should resign. [734][735][736] While Mayor of London, Johnson expressed climate sceptical views in several columns. Labour's deputy leader, Angela Rayner said, "If the latest reports are true, it would mean that not only did the prime minister attend parties, but he had a hand in instigating at least one of them. [83] After a honeymoon in Egypt, they settled in West Kensington, west London,[84] when he secured work for a management consultancy company, L.E.K. [783] Johnson's premiership has been described by historians as the most controversial and scandal-affected since that of David Lloyd George about a century earlier. Former PM Boris Johnson . [344] Given the UK-Saudi alliance, in December, he attracted attention for commenting the Saudis were akin to the Iranians in "puppeteering and playing proxy wars" throughout the Middle East. . [859][860], Referring to his varied ancestry, Johnson has described himself as a "one-man melting pot" with a combination of Abrahamic religious great-grandparents. [528][529], On 12November 2020, Downing Street Director of Communications Lee Cain resigned amid infighting within the cabinet. In the last ballot, on 20June, he reached 160 votes and was named one of the final two candidates, alongside Jeremy Hunt. [149] Alongside his Islington home, Johnson bought a farmhouse outside Thame in his new constituency. [693] On 20 February 2022, Johnson warned that Russia is planning the "biggest war in Europe since 1945" as Putin intends to invade and encircle the capital of Kyiv. Symonds had worked for the Conservative party since 2009 and worked on Johnson's 2012 campaign to be re-elected as mayor. George Williams (1821-1905) 41. [659] Johnson's government placed importance on maintaining the "Special Relationship" with the United States. He left office on 6 September and was succeeded by Liz Truss; his Foreign Secretary. [167] In 2004, HarperCollins published his first novel: Seventy-Two Virgins: A Comedy of Errors revolved around the life of a Conservative MP and contained various autobiographical elements. The restrictions, called "Plan B", were a partial renewal of previous measures due to the increased incidence of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. [92] A strong critic of the integrationist Commission president Jacques Delors, he established himself as one of the city's few Eurosceptic journalists. [184] Interested in streamlining university funding,[185] Johnson supported Labour's proposed top-up fees. [72] In 1984, Johnson was elected secretary of the Oxford Union,[73] and campaigned unsuccessfully for the career-enhancing and important position of Union President. [571][569] At first, Johnson did not deny that he attended. [415] He received 114 votes in the first ballot of party MPs,[416] 126 in the next, 143 votes in the third and 157 in the fourth. [537], In April 2021, Cummings made allegations that Johnson had arranged for donors to "secretly pay" for renovations on the private residence at 11 Downing Street. [688] In a phone call to President Vladimir Putin, Johnson urged him to "avoid bloodshed". [669], The UK joined the AUKUS defence pact with the United States and Australia in September 2021, which was interpreted as aiming to counter Chinese power in the Indo-Pacific region. [341] Johnson supported the Saudi Arabianled intervention in Yemen and refused to block UK arms sales to Saudi Arabia,[342] stating there was no clear evidence of breaches of international humanitarian law by Saudi Arabia in the war in Yemen. [751], On 19 August 2019, Johnson wrote a letter to the EU and asked for the removal of the "backstop" accord, which had previously been agreed and signed by Theresa May during her premiership. [296] The IOPC issued its report in May 2020, concluding that, although there was no basis for any criminal charge, there was evidence that the close relationship between Johnson and Arcuri had influenced decisions by officials. The BBC then reported, however, that an official complaint and subsequent investigation into Pincher, while he was at the Foreign Office (July 2019 to February 2020), had confirmed his misconduct, and that Johnson had been made aware of the matter at that time. Introduction of new UK border checks were delayed until 2022 to minimise the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. For its part, the EU has so far rebuffed the idea of changing the text of the treaty to accommodate the British. [797] Johnson's weight has fluctuated throughout his career; he was considered obese in 2018 and overweight in 2020, and has spoken of making efforts to lose weight. 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