P O L I T I C S
Boris Johnson’s installation as British prime minis-
ter caps a career as famous for its setbacks as its suc-
cesses. Sacked as a reporter for the Times of London
in 1988 for inventing a quote, he became a star at
its rival, the Telegraph, where his stories were often
more entertaining than accurate. On entering pol-
itics, he was fired as a Conservative Party spokes-
man for lying about an affair, then was twice elected
mayor of London, from which position he managed
to take credit for some of his predecessor’s ideas.
In his one job at the national level, foreign secre-
tary to then-Prime Minister Theresa May, Johnson
was sidelined from Brexit negotiations, the big-
gest foreign policy question facing the nation. Nowhe’sback in national politics, this time at the top.
Johnson’s latest comeback is a reflection of two
things: his megawatt charisma and the Tories’ com-
plete desperation. His gift lies not in oratory but in
an ability to make people laugh, with him and at
him. It was long assumed that this lack of apparent
seriousness would stop Johnson from ascending to
this position. Conservatives, after all, see theirs as
the party of sensible, careful government. Pursuit
of Brexit, by far the single most important issue for
party members, has turned that on its head. Having
tried for three years with sensible, careful May,
they’ve become contemptuous of warnings from
economists and big businesses and instead put their
faith in someone who promises that everything is
straightforward if only they have a little confidence.
In his first full day on the job, Johnson gutted
May’s cabinet, replacing her ministers with a group
of committed Brexiteers. But as every prime minis-
ter discovers, doing the job is harder than getting30
Edited by
Jillian Goodman● Boris Johnson just
achieved his dream.
Let’s see how long it lastsThe Sweet
Taste
Of Victory