Boris Johnson

Boris Johnson's Legacy? It's Complicated

by Luke Reader

The British constitution depends on adherence to norms and tradition commonly called the "good chap" principle. Johnson's ministry raised troubling questions about what happens when No. 10 Downing is occupied by a different sort of chap. 

Outrage over Boris Johnson's Parties is Part of a Long Tradition

Since aristocratic 1920s Brits adopted the cocktail culture of Prohibition-era America, the idea of a hard-partying elite living by their own rules has been a source of popular outrage, with the Prime Minister only the latest case. 

Boris Johnson’s Roman Fantasies

by Mateusz Fafinsky

Boris Johnson's recent statements that the collapse of Rome was caused by open borders are well out of step with historical understanding of the fragmenting of the Roman empire, but in line with a long legacy of political misappropriation of Rome as an allegory for the danger of immigrants.

From a Victorian to a Twenty-First Century Understanding of Why History Matters

by Priya Satia

"Churchill was the apotheosis of the historically-minded statesman, committed to the idea of history as progress in which the role of great men was to suppress ordinary moral compunctions about destructive events that forwarded it."

Who Owns Churchill?: Three Mythic Configurations

by Steven Fielding, Bill Schwarz, and Richard Toye

A new book examines the ways that Winston Churchill's image has been used in British politics, not least by Churchill himself.

A Surprising Role Model Emerges for Boris Johnson: F.D.R.

The British prime minister, trying to regroup in the coronavirus pandemic, wants to bury Thatcherism and embark on a program of ambitious public works.

Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before: A Study in the Politics and Aesthetics of English Misery

by Owen Hatherley

Owen Hatherley reflects on the last two UK general elections by charting the musical evolution of The Smiths.

The Ghosts of Founders Past

by Jason Pack

Halloween held a ghoulish surprise for American President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. As a result of their hubris, they were both forced to watch their longstanding dreams of unbridled executive authority die in the ditch of rule of law.

Have you heard of the catastrophic men theory of history? Step forward Boris Johnson...

by Nick Cohen

Self-interested and reckless leadership defines too much of our past – and present.

Are There Any Meaningful Historical Analogies for Brexit? Historians Respond.

Featuring Ali Ansari, Miranda Malins​, D.H. Robinson​, and Jonathan Fitzgibbons​.

The American Founders made sure the president could never suspend Congress

by Eliga Gould

Given the similarities between the U.S. and U.K. political systems and the personal parallels – and affection – between Johnson and U.S. President Donald Trump, Americans might wonder whether the president has a similar power to suspend Congress.

All the world’s a stage when you’re Boris Johnson basking in the no-deal-Brexit spotlight

by Esau Williams

Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson, the boy who once said he wanted to be ‘world king,’ has finally realized his life-long ambition of becoming British Prime Minister.

How the failure of popular politics triggered the rise of Boris Johnson

by Jesse Tumblin

Instead of solving intractable problems, public referendums simply exacerbate them.

Ex-London Mayor Boris Johnson compares the EU to Hitler

He has compared the European Union’s aims to those of Adolf Hitler, arguing that the 28-nation bloc is creating a superstate that mirrors the attempt of the Nazi leader to dominate the European continent.