- Thu October 29, 2026
Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (2019–2022), Boris Johnson led the country through Brexit, the UK’s exit from the European Union, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the early stages of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. He previously served as Leader of the Conservative Party, Foreign Secretary, and twice as Mayor of London.
Johnson led the Conservative Party to a decisive parliamentary majority in the 2019 general election, the party’s largest since 1987, ending a prolonged deadlock over the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union. His government formally completed Brexit and negotiated the UK’s future relationship with the EU. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he oversaw the national response, including vaccine development and rollout efforts, resulting in the discovery of the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine, delivering the fastest vaccine rollout in Europe.
Johnson positioned the UK as a leading European supporter of Ukraine following Russia’s 2022 invasion, committing military and humanitarian assistance, and later joined the International Task Force on Security and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine. Johnson hosted the COP26 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow in 2021, where participating nations adopted the Glasgow Climate Pact. His domestic reform agenda focused on infrastructure and economic development, known as “levelling up.”
Entering Parliament in 2001, he served two terms as Mayor of London from 2008 to 2016, overseeing the 2012 Olympic Games and introducing major transportation initiatives. He returned to Parliament in 2015 and served as Foreign Secretary from 2016 to 2018, leading the UK’s response to Russia’s use of a nerve agent in Salisbury in 2018.
In addition to his political career, Johnson is an author and award-winning journalist. He has written several books – most recently Unleashed, an account of his time in politics, as well as the globally bestselling historical biography of Winston Churchill, The Churchill Factor. He edited The Spectator magazine for six years and has written for major British publications including London’s Daily Telegraph. He graduated from Eton College and the University of Oxford.