Boris Johnson: Gaffe-prone Brexiteer with ruthless streak

Since coming to power, Boris Johnson has belied his image as a jovial mophead by revealing a ruthless streak – but that has failed to protect him from a series of humiliating blows against his authority.His high-stakes approach of pledging to leave the European Union on October 31, come what may, has led to a series of defeats in parliament, prompting him to fire several MPs from his own party.His decision to suspend parliament in the run-up to Brexit was yesterday ruled “unlawful, void and of no effect” by Britain’s Supreme Court.That has prompted opposition calls for him to step down after just two months in office.The man with a lifelong ambition to be prime minister – or “world king” in the words of his sister Rachel Johnson – could end up becoming Britain’s shortest-serving leader.With a colourful and chequered career in politics and journalism, Johnson was already the country’s most recognisable politician when he took power in the midst of Britain’s deepest political crisis since World War II.Born Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson in New York in 1964, he is the embodiment of privilege, having attended the elite Eton College and Oxford University.He started out as a journalist, writing for The Times, before being sacked for fabricating quotes.He went on to become Brussels correspondent for the Daily Telegraph and eventually editor of the Spectator magazine. He became an MP in 2001, but was sacked as Conservative Party arts spokesman in 2004 for lying about an extra-marital affair, demonstrating a fast-and-loose relationship with the truth that has dogged him throughout his career.His personality-driven approach and appearances on a TV satire show helped him develop a celebrity status and to score an unlikely victory by becoming the Conservative mayor of multi-ethnic, Labour-voting London.But it has led to frequent criticism over his attention to detail and his ability to govern, particularly during his poorly-received spell as foreign minster.A former colleague, who asked to remain anonymous, told AFP he could master the detail when required but, on some issues, “there’s an element of winging it”.Johnson is proud of his record in London, pointing to low levels of crime, the success of the 2012 Olympics and investment in transport and housing as proof of his ability to get things done.But critics cite expensive projects such as a cable car across River Thames, an aborted garden bridge and his decision to buy second-hand water cannons that police were not permitted to use.It wasn’t, however, until he successfully spearheaded the 2016 campaign to leave the European Union that he was transformed from a political sideshow into the deeply polarising figure who now leads the country.He made his first tilt at the Tory leadership shortly after the referendum but failed after his closest ally betrayed him.The winner, Theresa May, made him foreign secretary, but “where gravitas and grasp of detail were needed, Johnson supplied bon mots,” the Chatham House think-tank said.The gaffes that had helped burnish his popularity in lower office were no longer a laughing matter.He resigned a year ago in protest at May’s EU strategy, cementing his position as the champion of Brexit.His campaign to replace her was only briefly derailed by headlines about a police visit to his home following a noisy row with his girlfriend, Carrie Symonds.It reignited interest in the love life of a serial philanderer who has been married twice.Despite his own socially liberal views – he advocated an amnesty for illegal migrants as London mayor – Johnson has also drawn accusations of “dog-whistle” politics.His biographer Andrew Gimson said Johnson was not instinctively divisive but delighted in shocking the political establishment – not unlike his highest profile supporter, US President Donald Trump.But there is some evidence that his confrontational political style and his hardline Brexit strategy could be winning in the public arena.Opinion polls have shown growing support for Johnson ever since he took power in July.