Boris Johnson is a British politician, author, and former journalist who has been serving as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom since 2019. He was previously the Mayor of London from 2008 to 2016 and the Member of Parliament for Uxbridge and South Ruislip since 2015. Johnson is known for his charismatic personality, unorthodox style, and controversial statements.
Recently, Johnson has been in the news for his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK. He has faced criticism for his government's response to the crisis, including the delay in implementing lockdown measures and the slow rollout of the vaccine. Johnson has also been embroiled in a scandal known as "Partygate," in which he and his staff are accused of breaking COVID-19 restrictions by holding parties in Downing Street during the pandemic.
In addition to the pandemic, Johnson has been involved in a number of other controversies during his time in office. He has been accused of making racist and sexist comments, and has been criticized for his handling of Brexit negotiations. Johnson has also faced allegations of cronyism and corruption, particularly in relation to government contracts awarded during the pandemic. Despite these controversies, Johnson remains a popular figure among many in the UK, and his leadership style continues to be a subject of debate and discussion.
Covid WhatsApps used for coffee orders not big decisions, says ex-health minister
James Bethell says he supports legal challenge against inquiry’s demand for unredacted Johnson messages
Boris Johnson declared himself 'epileptically bored with COVID'
Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is alleged to have grown to see the pandemic as an 'irrelevance' and declared himself 'epileptically bored with COVID' in 2022 as he mulled scrapping free tests for the virus, according to his former communications chief, Guto Harri.
Boris Johnson urges government to accelerate levelling-up measures
Boris Johnson has called on the government to speed up planning reform to build more homes and accelerate levelling-up measures such as Northern Powerhouse Rail, planning reform, devolution, secure affordable supply, gigabit broadband and all the other Levelling Up measures that will make this the strongest and most prosperous economy in Europe.
Dame Elan Closs Stephens appointed acting chairwoman of the BBC
Dame Elan Closs Stephens has been appointed as acting chairwoman of the BBC after Richard Sharp's resignation.
Covid inquiry chair ‘may have to quit’ if denied access to Johnson WhatsApps
Lawyer for bereaved families says Heather Hallett would be unable to do job if government blocks release
Boris Johnson and wife accused of breaking Covid rules
Boris Johnson and his wife, Carrie, have been accused of breaking Covid rules by hosting a friend at Chequers in May 2021 for an overnight stay, when some Covid restrictions were still in place.
Sue Gray cleared to work for Labour as Keir Starmer's chief of staff
Sue Gray, the former Cabinet Office mandarin who led the investigation into Partygate, has been cleared to take up her new role as Keir Starmer's chief of staff in the autumn after a vetting board rejected calls for her to have a much longer gardening leave.
Labour predicted to win landslide victory in next UK general election
A megapoll of new constituency boundaries suggests that Labour is on course for a landslide victory at the next UK general election.
Boris Johnson warned he could lose public funding for legal advice if he tries to undermine the government's position on the Covid-19 inquiry
Cabinet Office lawyers have warned Boris Johnson that public funding for his legal representation to the Covid inquiry could be withdrawn if he tries to "undermine" the government. The former prime minister has been at the centre of a row as ministers launched a High Court bid to challenge the inquiry's demand for his unredacted WhatsApp messages and notebooks.
Rishi Sunak reportedly set to accept Boris Johnson’s honours list
PM keen to ‘clear the decks’ within weeks, source says, despite prospect of byelections and scrutiny amid Covid inquiry
Boris Johnson hands COVID material to Cabinet Office in 'full and in unredacted form'
A spokesman for the former prime minister said he wanted the Cabinet Office to "urgently disclose" the material to the COVID Inquiry led by Lady Hallett.
UK Government to fight legal battle over release of Boris Johnson's unredacted WhatsApp messages
The UK Government has refused to hand over Boris Johnson's unredacted WhatsApp messages, diaries and personal notebooks to the Covid inquiry, and is seeking a judicial review of the inquiry chairwoman's order to release the documents. The Cabinet Office argues that it should not have to hand over material which is 'unambiguously irrelevant' to the inquiry's work, including personal communications and matters unconnected to the government's handling of Covid.
UK government faces legal battle over release of Boris Johnson's unredacted WhatsApp messages and diaries
The UK government is facing a legal battle with officials in charge of the Covid public inquiry over the release of unredacted WhatsApp messages and diaries belonging to Boris Johnson.
Lockdowns had negligible impact on mortality, study claims
A study by scientists from Johns Hopkins University and Lund University found that full lockdowns had a negligible impact on mortality and could be a policy failure of gigantic proportions. The study suggests that lockdowns in response to the first wave of the pandemic prevented as few as 1,700 deaths in England and Wales compared to countries which took lighter-touch measures. The benefits of the first Covid-19 lockdown were a drop in the bucket compared to the staggering collateral costs it imposed, the study said.
Boris Johnson hands over unredacted WhatsApp messages to Covid-19 inquiry
Boris Johnson has sent all unredacted WhatsApp messages to the Covid-19 inquiry, including those from an old mobile phone he stopped using due to security concerns.
UK government refuses to hand over unredacted Boris Johnson messages to COVID-19 inquiry
The UK government has refused to hand over unredacted copies of Boris Johnson's personal messages to the COVID-19 inquiry, which he himself set up. The head of the inquiry, retired judge Heather Hallett, has asked to see the messages, as well as notebooks and diaries, which represent key evidence in the investigation. The government has provided incomplete versions, saying it had cut personal and private information that was 'unambiguously irrelevant' to the investigation. The government has launched a legal battle against the inquiry, which has the power to summon evidence and question witnesses under oath.
Speculation on Tory leadership as defeat looms
Talks of who might take over from Rishi Sunak as Tory leader are already underway, with speculation centred on the party's direction if they lose the 2024 election.
Metropolitan Police to stop attending emergency mental health incidents
The Metropolitan Police will no longer attend emergency calls linked to mental health incidents from September 2023, unless there is an immediate threat to life.
Boris Johnson referred to police over fresh allegations of lockdown rule-breaking
Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been referred to the police over fresh allegations of lockdown rule-breaking after officials passed on diaries he planned to submit to the Covid inquiry.
UK Government's pledge to build 40 new hospitals by 2030 delayed
The UK Government's pledge to build 40 new hospitals by 2030 has been delayed, with eight of the original sites delayed into the next decade. The government has replaced some of the original 40 with schemes to refurbish or replace hospitals built with a type of concrete that is well past its expected 30-year lifespan, with roofs and ceilings at risk of falling down. The change to the programme involved some of the 40 originally listed being replaced by schemes to refurbish or replace hospitals built with a type of concrete that is well past its expected 30-year lifespan, with roofs and ceilings at risk of falling down.
Editorial: Pitting holidaymakers against locals is no salve for our housing woes
Editorial: The problems of tourist areas are just a special version of the deep problems besetting modern Britain: an unbalanced economy and a dysfunctional housing market
Barclay insists Johnson has ‘huge role to play’ in politics amid police referral
The backing comes after the former prime minister hit out at the Cabinet Office for handing entries from his diary during the pandemic to the police.
Accidents quadruple on cycle lane hailed by Boris Johnson
Route in West London saw eight cyclists suffering serious injuries last year, compared with only two before lane was introduced
London's ULEZ expansion faces opposition
London Mayor Sadiq Khan's plan to expand the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) to cover the entirety of outer London from August 29 is facing opposition from some quarters.
Just Stop Oil protesters throw paint over Chelsea Flower Show garden
Three women from the Just Stop Oil (JSO) group have been arrested on suspicion of criminal damage after throwing orange paint over the RBC Brewin Dolphin Garden at the Chelsea Flower Show in London. The incident was caught on camera and prompted mixed reactions from onlookers.