Difference between revisions of "Boris Johnson"

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*Hannon, Paul (December 13, 2019). [https://www.wsj.com/articles/after-thumping-victory-boris-johnson-focuses-on-swift-brexit-boost-to-public-spending-11576236384 After Thumping Victory, Boris Johnson Focuses on Swift Brexit, Boost to Public Spending]. ''The Wall Street Journal''. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
 
*Hannon, Paul (December 13, 2019). [https://www.wsj.com/articles/after-thumping-victory-boris-johnson-focuses-on-swift-brexit-boost-to-public-spending-11576236384 After Thumping Victory, Boris Johnson Focuses on Swift Brexit, Boost to Public Spending]. ''The Wall Street Journal''. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
 
*Lawless, Jill; Kirka, Danica; Corder, Mike (December 13, 2019). [https://apnews.com/f972f14e0fdaf579c43dd3e2ea36bfd4 UK’s Johnson claims Brexit mandate as Tories secure majority]. ''Associated Press''. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
 
*Lawless, Jill; Kirka, Danica; Corder, Mike (December 13, 2019). [https://apnews.com/f972f14e0fdaf579c43dd3e2ea36bfd4 UK’s Johnson claims Brexit mandate as Tories secure majority]. ''Associated Press''. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
 +
*Milliken, David; Schomberg, William (December 13, 2019). [https://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-election/johnson-election-victory-propels-britain-toward-swift-brexit-idUSKBN1YH18O Johnson election victory propels Britain toward swift Brexit]. ''Reuters''. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
 +
*Faulconbridge, Guy; James, William (December 12, 2019). [https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-britain-election-exit-poll/britain-speeds-towards-brexit-as-johnson-wins-large-majority-in-election-idUSKBN1YG2NZ Britain speeds towards Brexit as Johnson wins large majority in election]. ''Reuters''. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
 
See also:
 
See also:
 
*Tomlinson, Chris (December 12, 2019). [https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2019/12/12/uk-election-conservatives-take-seat-held-by-labour-for-nearly-70-years/ UK Election: Conservatives Take Seat Held By Labour For Nearly 70 Years]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
 
*Tomlinson, Chris (December 12, 2019). [https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2019/12/12/uk-election-conservatives-take-seat-held-by-labour-for-nearly-70-years/ UK Election: Conservatives Take Seat Held By Labour For Nearly 70 Years]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
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*Corder, Mike (December 13, 2019). [https://apnews.com/b2a8d3e24603609ab17868231b46e975 Key takeaways from Boris Johnson’s sweeping election victory]. ''Associated Press''. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
 
*Corder, Mike (December 13, 2019). [https://apnews.com/b2a8d3e24603609ab17868231b46e975 Key takeaways from Boris Johnson’s sweeping election victory]. ''Associated Press''. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
 
*Lawless, Jill (December 13, 2019). [https://apnews.com/41360172184354db5ef52c0631ebc73b From punchline to political star: the rise of Boris Johnson]. ''Associated Press''. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
 
*Lawless, Jill (December 13, 2019). [https://apnews.com/41360172184354db5ef52c0631ebc73b From punchline to political star: the rise of Boris Johnson]. ''Associated Press''. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
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*Katz, Gregory (December 13, 2019). [https://apnews.com/34d660d3c45dcd657a1578764ac7b842 Johnson victory means Brexit is coming, tough talks loom]. ''Associated Press''. Retrieved December 13, 2019.</ref>
+
*Katz, Gregory (December 13, 2019). [https://apnews.com/34d660d3c45dcd657a1578764ac7b842 Johnson victory means Brexit is coming, tough talks loom]. ''Associated Press''. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
 +
*Piper, Elizabeth (December 13, 2019). [https://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-election-strategy-insight/how-boris-johnsons-election-gamble-paid-off-idUSKBN1YH0K3 How Boris Johnson’s election gamble paid off]. ''Reuters''. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
 +
*MacAskill, Andrew (December 12, 2019). [https://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-election-remain/the-dream-is-dead-johnson-election-triumph-breaks-uk-remainer-hearts-idUSKBN1YH0B4 The dream is dead: Johnson election triumph breaks UK 'remainer' hearts]. ''Reuters''. Retrieved December 13, 2019.</ref>
  
 
===Brexit===
 
===Brexit===

Revision as of 13:59, December 13, 2019

Boris Johnson
Boris Johnson, foreign minister.jpg
77th Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
Term of office
July 24, 2019 - present
Political party Conservative Party
Preceded by Theresa May
Born June 19, 1964
New York City
Spouse Allegra Mostyn-Owen (div.)
Marina Wheeler (div.)

Boris Johnson (born New York, June 19, 1964) is the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and leader of the Conservative Party, serving since July 2019. Previously, he served as Mayor of London from May 2008 to May 2016 and as UK Foreign Minister from July 2016 to July 2018. He is a noted supporter of Brexit. Johnson defeated incumbent London mayor Ken Livingstone in 2008 and was succeeded by Sadiq Khan‎, the first Muslim mayor of any European capital. Observers in the media have noted Johnson's effective public speaking skills.[1]

Early life and career

Johnson was born in New York City. He no longer claims U.S. citizenship because he chose to renounce it following trouble entering the U.S. on his British passport.[2] However, he did not clarify whether he had ever formally renounced his U.S. citizenship before a U.S. consular officer and it is uncertain whether he remains a citizen under U.S. law.

Mayor of London

Johnson's campaign for Mayor of London from the Conservative Party was in a majority Labour Party dominated region. Johnson promised during the campaign that he would roll back a recent expansion of Central London congestion charging Livingstone had introduced.[3] He also advocated the removal of articulated, or "bendy", buses that had been introduced to London.[4] He also called for minor changes to law and order in London in the form of a ban on drinking alcohol on public transport (the London Underground in particular)[5] and the revocation of free travel for youths who misbehave on buses and trains.

Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs

On July 13, 2016, Johnson was appointed as the British Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs by Prime Minister Theresa May.[6]

In July 2018, due to his opposition to May's Brexit plan which he believed undermined UK sovereignty and independence, Johnson resigned as Foreign Secretary.[7] He was replaced by Jeremy Hunt, who he later competed against and defeated in the race for leader of the Conservative Party.

Premiership

On July 23, 2019, Johnson won the Conservative Party leadership election, campaigning on a strongly pro-Brexit platform and defeating Jeremy Hunt. By winning the leadership election, he also became the UK's prime minister.[8] His tenure as prime minister began the following day.[9]

Johnson appointed a much more conservative candidate than his predecessor, firing over half of May's cabinet in the largest purge in British history, and with cabinet positions going to MPs open to a "no-deal" Brexit.[10] He also appointed strongly pro-Brexit individuals to other administration positions.[11]

Johnson won by a landslide in the December 2019 general election, winning the largest Conservative Party majority since Margaret Thatcher in 1987 and taking longtime Labour-held seats.[12]

Brexit

Immediately upon becoming Prime Minister, Johnson took a tough stance on Brexit, promising to fulfill the 2016 referendum result.[13] His government stated it would not pay any "divorce bill" to the EU in the case of a "no-deal" Brexit,[14] and Johnson stated he would push to adopt an independent trade policy and not nominate an EU commissioner.[15]

Johnson immediately put his cabinet to work preparing for a "no-deal" Brexit,[16] and he stated he would refuse to negotiate with the EU unless it dropped its Irish backstop demand.[17] Very early in Johnson's tenure, his government doubled the amount of money devoted to preparing for a "no-deal" Brexit,[18] and his treasury minister announced a one-year spending review to help the government prepare for a "no-deal" Brexit.[19] The government announced that in the event of a "no-deal" Brexit, it would end its adherence to the EU's "freedom of movement" rules.[20] Johnson voiced confidence and patriotism in his country.[21] However, regarding the Brexit agreement with the EU, Johnson only called for the EU to remove the Northern Ireland backstop in order for him to accept it, angering Brexit supporters.[22] In August 2019, the EU appeared to take a softer stance on renegotiating the Brexit agreement, but this public stance was actually a way to deflect blame in the event of a no-deal Brexit.[23]

In August 2019, Johnson's government announced it would stop sending its officials to most EU meetings.[24]

On August 28, 2019, Johnson announced he would ask the queen to suspend parliament as Brexit Day approached.[25] He threatened to expel any Tory MP who voted to delay or block Brexit.[26] Parliament voted to block a no-deal Brexit and Johnson followed through on his threat.[27] While calling for a new election for two years, the Labor Party suddenly opposed holding a new election after Johnson announced his support for it.[28] Johnson continued voicing support for achieving Brexit,[29] and he refused to request a Brexit extension from the EU.[30] The UK Supreme Court, however, ruled against Johnson's parliamentary suspension on September 24, 2019.[31]

Despite pushing for Brexit, Johnson made the mistake of publicly disavowing and insulting Nigel Farage when he proposed forming an electoral coalition – and incident which illustrated that Johnson was not a political conservative.[32]

Johnson announced a revised Brexit deal proposal on October 2, 2019.[33] On October 17, 2019, Johnson announced he had reached an agreement with the EU.[34] The conservative Northern Irish Democratic Unionist Party announced it would oppose the proposed agreement,[35][36] and Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage also criticized it.[36][37] On October 19, 2019, the House of Commons voted to delay the vote on the agreement and to delay Brexit if the agreement did not pass.[38] Later in the day, Johnson requested a Brexit extension despite promising not to take such an action.[39] On October 22, 2019, Parliament voted in favor of the Brexit deal but voted against Johnson's three-day schedule for giving the final approval of the deal.[40] The EU subsequently granted yet another extension until January 31, 2020.[41]

On October 29, 2019, on its fourth attempt to do so in two months, the UK Parliament voted to hold an election on December 12.[42] Johnson rejected the possibility of a "no-deal" in his election manifesto.[43] He also apologized for failing to deliver Brexit on time.[44]

Other issues

Upon becoming Prime Minister, Johnson advanced tough-on-crime policies, including hiring 20,000 new police officers.[45] However, he also advocated for a liberal immigration policy, including amnesty for illegal aliens,[46] and he abandoned a pledge to significantly reduce migration to the UK.[47] However, Johnson promised to deport illegal migrants in the UK.[48] In September 2019, Johnson relaxed rules for foreign students in the UK.[49] During the 2019 election campaign, Johnson did not commit to capping immigration levels and labeled himself "pro-immigration."[50]

In September 2019, Johnson's government announced it would spend £600 million on promoting abortion and contraception internationally.[51]

On November 2, 2019, Johnson's government imposed a moratorium on fracking.[52] His government also caved to the left-wing organization Extinction Rebellion and created a "climate change citizens' assembly."[53]

Political views

Johnson holds a mix of conservative and liberal views, and he has also changed positions on important issues.[54] For example, he has been described as the "British Trump", though the several liberal positions he takes undermines such a comparison.[55] He has made statements both supporting and opposing the EU during his career,[56] though he strongly supported Brexit and the restoration of UK sovereignty in the 2016 referendum.

Johnson has taken open borders positions on immigration in the past.[57] However, he generally supports lower taxes.[58]

Johnson announced during the 2008 US presidential campaign that he favored an Obama victory.[59] He has relatively good relations with Donald Trump,[60] though he also criticized President Trump in the past.[61]

Johnson is highly critical of Russian president Vladimir Putin. When in March 2018 former Russian agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were poisoned in Salisbury, Johnson compared Russia's hosting of the World Cup to Adolf Hitler's hosting of the Olympic Games in 1936.[62]

Johnson takes left-wing positions on social issues, including abortion and same-sex "marriage."[63]

References

  1. ↑ Hayward, Freddie; Faulconbridge, Guy (July 23, 2019). Boris Johnson's magniloquent tongue reaps political gold, linguists say. Reuters. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
  2. ↑ http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1681132/posts
  3. ↑ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7188239.stm
  4. ↑ http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23411785-details/Scrap+the+bendy+bus+and+bring+back+Routemasters,+says+Boris/article.do
  5. ↑ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7387113.stm
  6. ↑ Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
  7. ↑ Lane, Oliver JJ (July 9, 2018). British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson Resigns Government Amid Brexit Rebellion. Breitbart News. Retrieved July 9, 2018.
    See also:
  8. ↑ Multiple references: See also:
  9. ↑ Multiple references: See also:
  10. ↑ Multiple references: List of cabinet members: See also:
  11. ↑ Multiple references:
  12. ↑ Multiple references: See also:
  13. ↑ Multiple references:
  14. ↑ Friedman, Victoria (July 25, 2019). New Boris Govt Confirms UK Won’t Pay £39bn to Brussels in No-Deal Brexit. Breitbart News. Retrieved July 25, 2019.
  15. ↑ British PM Johnson unveils 'new approach', no UK commissioner to EU. Reuters. July 25, 2019. Retrieved July 25, 2019.
  16. ↑ Multiple references: See also:
  17. ↑ Friedman, Victoria (July 29, 2019). Johnson Plays Hardball, Won’t Meet with EU Until They Remove Backstop. Breitbart News. Retrieved July 29, 2019.
    See also:
  18. ↑ Multiple references: See also:
  19. ↑ Markham, Joe (August 9, 2019). Chancellor Announces Special Spending Review to Prepare for Brexit. Breitbart News. Retrieved August 9, 2019.
  20. ↑ Multiple references:
  21. ↑ Friedman, Victoria (August 26, 2019). Johnson: UK Is a ‘Great Country’ and Can ‘Easily Cope’ with No Deal Brexit. Breitbart News. Retrieved August 26, 2019.
  22. ↑ Friedman, Victoria (August 28, 2019). Johnson Faces Brexiteer Backlash over Only Seeking Changes to the Backstop. Breitbart News. Retrieved August 28, 2019.
  23. ↑ Baczynska, Gabriela (August 28, 2019). EU's softer tone a ploy to sidestep blame in case of a no-deal Brexit. Breitbart News. Retrieved August 28, 2019.
  24. ↑ Multiple references:
  25. ↑ Multiple references: See also:
  26. ↑ Multiple references:
  27. ↑ Multiple references: See also:
  28. ↑ Multiple references:
  29. ↑ Multiple references:
  30. ↑ Multiple references: See also:
  31. ↑ Multiple references: See also: Johnson's response after Parliament reconvened:
  32. ↑ Multiple references: Later comments: See also:
  33. ↑ Multiple references:
    • Colchester, Max; Douglas, Jason (October 2, 2019). Boris Johnson Makes Last-Ditch Brexit Bid to EU. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved October 2, 2019.
    • Lawless, Jill; Kirka, Danica (October 2, 2019). Boris Johnson: UK is offering Brexit ‘compromise’ to EU. Associated Press. Retrieved October 2, 2019.
    • Piper, Elizabeth; James, William; MacLellan, Kylie (October 1, 2019). [hhttps://www.reuters.com/article/uk-britain-eu/pm-johnson-makes-final-brexit-offer-draws-guarded-welcome-from-eu-idUSKBN1WG4S8 PM Johnson makes final Brexit offer, draws guarded welcome from EU]. Reuters. Retrieved October 2, 2019.
    See also:
  34. ↑ Multiple references: See also:
  35. ↑ Multiple references:
  36. ↑ 36.0 36.1 Lane, Oliver JJ; Montgomery, Jack (October 19, 2019). ‘No Surrender’ – Ian Paisley, Nigel Farage Denounce Boris’s Brexit Deal. Breitbart News. Retrieved October 19, 2019.
  37. ↑ Multiple references:
  38. ↑ Multiple references:
  39. ↑ Multiple references: See also:
  40. ↑ Multiple references:
  41. ↑ Multple references: See also:
  42. ↑ Multiple references:
  43. ↑ Multiple references: See also:
  44. ↑ Multiple references:
  45. ↑ Multiple references: See also:
  46. ↑ Lane, Oliver JJ (July 25, 2019). Make Britain Great Again? Boris Talks up Illegals Amnesty, New ‘Golden Age’ For United Kingdom. Breitbart News. Retrieved July 25, 2019.
    See also:
  47. ↑ Montgomery, Jack (July 25, 2019). Red Flag: Boris SCRAPS Pledge to Reduce Migration ‘From Hundreds of Thousands to Tens of Thousands’. Breitbart News. Retrieved July 25, 2019.
  48. ↑ UK PM Johnson says Britain will send back migrants who cross channel illegally. Reuters. August 23, 2019. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  49. ↑ https://www.ft.com/content/2f9deebe-d3e9-11e9-8367-807ebd53ab77
  50. ↑ Montgomery, Jack (November 15, 2019). Boris Declares He Is ‘Pro-Immigration’, Will Not Commit to Capping It. Breitbart News. Retrieved November 15, 2019.
  51. ↑ Freiburger, Calvin (September 25, 2019). UK announces plan to spend millions promoting abortion, contraception abroad. LifeSiteNews. Retrieved September 25, 2019.
  52. ↑ Addison, Stephen; Smout, Alistair (November 1, 2019). In seismic shift, Britain orders immediate moratorium on fracking. Reuters. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
    See also:
  53. ↑ Friedman, Victoria (November 2, 2019). Govt Forms ‘Climate Assembly UK’ After Pressure from Eco-Extremist Group Extinction Rebellion. Breitbart News. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
  54. ↑ Friedman, Victoria (July 24, 2019). ‘Flip-Flop’ Johnson: Five Times Boris U-Turned on Brexit, the EU, and Trump. Breitbart News. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
  55. ↑ Montgomery, Jack (July 23, 2019). Boris the British Trump? Not So Fast… Breitbart News. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
  56. ↑ Multiple references:
  57. ↑ Friedman, Victoria (July 23, 2019). Flashback: ‘Amnesty Boris’ on Illegals, Open Borders to Turkey, Migration Caps. Breitbart News. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
  58. ↑ MacLellan, Kylie (July 23, 2019). Factbox: Incoming UK PM Johnson's stance on Iran, Trump, Huawei and the economy. Reuters. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
  59. ↑ [1]
  60. ↑ Multiple references:
  61. ↑ Robert Mackey. June 6, 2017. "Two London Mayors Called Trump's Muslim Ban Wrong. Why Is He Only Attacking One?". The Intercept. Retrieved July 25, 2019.
  62. ↑ Wintour, Patrick (21 March 2018). Boris Johnson compares Russian World Cup to Hitler's 1936 Olympics (en).
  63. ↑ Van Maren, Jonathon (July 29, 2019). Boris Johnson, new UK prime minister, is no pro-life or conservative hero. LifeSiteNews. Retrieved July 29, 2019.


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