UK’s Got a Controversial New Brexiteer PM – Boris Johnson

Britain’s new Prime Minister Boris Johnson waves from the steps outside 10 Downing Street, London.

(Photo: AP)

Video Editor: Purnendu Pritam

Britain's blustering Brexit campaigner is UK's new prime minister, who has come to power with a resounding mandate to lead the governing Conservatives.

But let's rewind the clock a little bit here, who is Boris Johnson?

From a Journalist to a Politician

From covering news as a journalist to making headlines as a politician, Alexander Boris DE Pfeffel Johnson has been both controversial and ambitious

He was born in New York City on 19 June 1963 but grew up in Brussels. Johnson later went on to study Classics at Oxford.

As he began his career he got fired from his first job at the Times of London for making up a quote. However, while working as a Brussels correspondent for the telegraph, he became Margaret Thatcher's favourite columnist.

In 1999 Johnson became the editor of the 'Spectator' magazine. He then went on to join politics and became an MP in 2001.

No Stranger to Controversy

The new prime minister of UK is no stranger to controversy as well.

As a journalist, Johnson once caused uproar by writing Liverpool was 'hooked on grief' after the killing of a British hostage in Iraq.

As a conservative leader, he was once sacked from his post because he lied about his affair with a journalist at the ‘Spectator’.

Ardent Brexit Supporter

However, he rose to global fame in 2016 after becoming the poster boy for Brexit

When David Cameron resigned in the wake of UK's Brexit referendum Johnson was in the race for the PM's post but his dreams were shattered by his fellow campaigner Michael Gove.

To everyone's surprise, Theresa May, who was then elected UK’s PM , appointed him her foreign secretary. But during his tenure, Johnson continued to be a controversial figure.

Opposed to May's Brexit compromise, Johnson resigned from his post in 2018.

He has been able to woo Brexiteers by pledging to exit European Union by 31 October.

“We are going to fulfil the repeated promises of Parliament to the people and come out of the EU on October the 31st, no ifs or buts.”

Boris Johnson, in first speech as PM