Boris Johnson



Profile:
Full name: Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson Area of interest: Politics, Society, London issues

Journals/Organisation: The Daily Telegraph

Email: [mailto:mayor@london.gov.uk mayor@london.gov.uk] | Mayor's office contacts

Personal website:

Website: BorisJohnson.com | Telegraph.co / Boris Johnson

Blog:

Representation: AP Watt

Networks: http://twitter.com/#!/MayorOfLondon | Facebook | YouTube



Biography:
About:

Education: Eton College (King's scholar); Balliol College, Oxford University: Classics (2.1); President of the Oxford Union, 1983

Career: Trainee reporter for The Times, 1987; Reporter for the Wolverhampton Express and Star, 1987; The Daily Telegraph: Leader and feature writer from 1987, European Community correspondent 1989/1994, Assistant Editor, 1994/1999; The Spectator: Political columnist, 1994/1995; unsuccessfully stood for Member of Parliament for Clwyd South, 1997; The Spectator: Editor, 1999/2005; Member of Parliament for Henley-on-Thames, 2001; Vice-Chairman of the Conservative Party, 2003; Shadow Minister for the Arts, 2004; sacked as Minister of Arts after allegations of adulterous affair, 2004; resigned Spectator editorship to become  Shadow Minister for Higher Education, 2005/2007 (see:  official opposition frontbench); resigned as MP having won London Mayoral election, May 2008 Current position/role: Columnist


 * also writes/has written for:

Other roles/Main role: Politician, Author

Other activities: Mayor of London (former Member of Parliament for Henley on Thames)

Disclosures: House of Commons Register of Members' Interests, from theyworkforyou.com

Viewpoints/Insight: Evening Standard: Interview by David Rowan, 2004
 * Interview: Politik show with Boris at the Conservative Party conference, (video) Catch 21 Productions

Broadcast media:

Video: see IMDb

Controversy/Criticism:
 * Boris Johnson invokes Thatcher spirit with greed is good speech. London mayor calls for return of selective schools in bid for Tory right's support. The Guardian, 27th November 2013
 * Boris Johnson IQ comments reveal 'unpleasant, careless elitism', says Clegg. The Guardian, 28th November 2013
 * Boris Johnson's philosophy isn't just elitist – it's sinister - Suzanne Moore: London's mayor opened his mouth and wrote off a whole swath of the populus. Yet he's just spelling out the ideology of the ruling class - 28th November 2013
 * a good career move, Boris Johnson'' - The Independent leading article: There have long been questions about whether Boris Johnson's position as elected Mayor of London is compatible with his authorship of a well-paid column in a conservative newspaper - 15th May 2012
 * BBC News 24: Boris apology to Papua New Guinea re "cannibalism and chief-killing" (video); Boriswatch
 * see: Controversies (Wikipedia)

Awards/Honours: New Statesman - New Media Awards: Nominations - Elected representative award for his blog

Scoops:

Other: Married to barrister Marina Wheeler (daughter of journalist and broadcaster Sir Charles Wheeler); Great-grandson of Turkish Journalist, Ali Kemal; younger sister is author/columnist Rachel Johnson



Books & Debate:

 * Friends, voters, countrymen: jottings from the stump OCLC48572617, 2001
 * Lend me your ears: the essential Boris Johnson OCLC56448967, 2004
 * Seventy-two virgins OCLC56649301, 2004
 * The dream of Rome OCLC67865987, 2006
 * Have I got views for you OCLC70264769, 2006
 * Bottom gear OCLC85828673, 2007
 * Life in the fast lane: The Johnson guide to cars OCLC225495489, 2007
 * The British OCLC80331596, 2007

Latest work: The perils of pushy parents OCLC163310092, 2007 , poetry Speaking/Appearances:

Debate: 

Daily Telegraph:
Column name:

Remit/Info: Politics and Society

Section: Features / Comments

Role: Commentator

Pen-name:

Email: [mailto:johnsonb@parliament.uk johnsonb@parliament.com]

Website: Telegraph.co / Boris Johnson

Commissioning editor:

Day published: varies

Regularity: Weekly

Column format:

Average length: 1000 words



Articles: 2014

 * A Citizens' Wealth Fund would create billions for investment - By pooling public-sector pensions, we could cut taxes as well as finance major building projects - 6th October
 * Jumping into the arms of Ukip only helps Ed Miliband - The Tories are making real progress on the economy – it would be folly to put that at risk - 29th September
 * It would be bonkers to rewrite the constitution overnight - To devolve powers fairly, on both sides of the border, is not beyond the wit of man - 23rd September
 * Drones can’t take out all 'Jihadi Johns’, we need Muslims onside - Britain is a force for good – join tonight’s Trafalgar Square rally to support the Union - 15th September
 * Scottish independence: Decapitate Britain, and we kill off the greatest political union ever - The Scots are on the verge of an act of self-mutilation that will trash our global identity - 8th September
 * Only with a new hub airport will Britain truly take off - It’s madness to reopen the debate about a third runway at Heathrow. A new site is the answer - 1st September
 * Do nothing, and we invite the tide of terror to our front door - As the problem of Isil worsens by the day, it is surely time to bring back control orders - 25th August
 * It would be an utter tragedy if we did not defend the Kurds - Kurdistan, an oasis of stability and tolerance in the Middle East, now faces Islamist slaughter - 11th August
 * The barbarism that pushed Poland into EU's arms - As Britain reconsiders its role in Europe, it’s important to remember our allies’ suffering - 4th August
 * Ed 'Wallace' Miliband's problem is that he's wearing the wrong trousers - Ed Miliband is right that policies, not image, are what counts, but his ideas add up to nothing - 28th July
 * This is Putin’s war, and this disaster is his responsibility - Russia’s response to the destruction of a civilian airliner stands in stark contrast to America’s - 21st July
 * We must tread carefully along the path to assisted dying - The proposed rules need to be tightened up - 14th July
 * Time to give Numbies a stake in their own shale-rich land - Fracking would have fewer objectors if people owned the earth beneath their property - 30th June
 * Come on, England, don’t force us to reach for the pzzzzzt! - After another dose of World Cup woe, the time has come for radical measures - 24th June
 * Blair’s Iraq invasion was a tragic error, and he’s mad to deny it - We cannot make the case for engagement unless we are honest about our failures - 15th June
 * Junking Juncker’s pointless. It doesn’t matter who gets the job - Whoever ends up as Commission president will have one aim: ever closer union in Europe - 9th June
 * If we can’t do it on our own, then let’s lose weight together - Willpower or nannying is hopeless, but a dose of team spirit might shed Britain’s extra pounds - 2nd June
 * This is one peasants’ revolt that Brussels can’t just brush aside - All across Europe, the message is clear: the EU must hand back power to the people - 26th May
 * You kip if you want to – but only one party can offer real change - The Tories will give people the vote they are crying out for, and lead reform of the EU - 19th May
 * In our own modest way, we’re living in a Boko Haram world - There is no consistency or fairness in the BBC’s disgraceful treatment of its Radio Devon DJ - 12th May
 * The economic sunshine has left Miligoblin groping in the dark - Voters are learning to ignore this croaking, complaining creature - 5th May
 * There's a simple solution to this Euro-elections sham - Westminster politicians are well placed to do a good job in Brussels and Strasbourg - 29th April
 * Forget Saharan dust – London’s air can be as pure as the Alps - With cleaner homes and traffic, the city will have the world’s first ultra-low emission zone - 7th April
 * It’s elementary, Watson. Here’s why faith in the police is rising - Another mystery is solved in Baker Street, and the story deserves a wider audience - 31st March
 * The Lamborghini ride that says: power to the people - The Budget’s pensions revolution will at last allow people to spend their money as they wish - 24th March
 * In this agonising mystery of Flight 370, there is also hope - The baffling story of a vanished airliner has focused the world’s attention like no other - 17th March
 * Is Vladimir Putin the new Stalin? Not now the USSR has fallen apart - A visit from the ghost of a tyrant past leaves the president mourning the loss of an empire - 10th March
 * The children taught at home about murder and bombings - Radicalisation is a form of child abuse, and the authorities must have the power to intervene - 3rd March
 * We’re not the bad boys of Europe – just ask our ski instructors - As the most law-abiding of countries, it’s time we insisted others reform their abuses - 24th February
 * Riding my broken bike is like working with the Lib Dems - Mistaking a pothole for a puddle put paid to an old friend, but there is an upside to my mishap - 18th February
 * Banning smoking in cars is bizarre, intrusive – and right - Unusually for a libertarian free spirit, this time I’m with the bossyboots brigade - 10th February
 * I don’t begrudge Bob Crow his holiday but I do mind his strike - It’s outrageous that London can be held to ransom by a minority of the RMT’s members - 3rd February
 * Bash the rich and you deprive us of what their taxes pay for - Ed Balls’s insistence on restoring the 50p rate shows his ignorance of how the economy works - 27th January
 * Cleggton Keynes in England’s rolling hills? No thanks, Nick - We don’t need any new 'garden’ cities. London’s brownfield sites can solve the housing crisis - 20th January
 * Trust the people to decide on Europe? Whatever next! - The public are perfectly capable of casting an informed vote – but Labour won’t let them - 13th January 2014
 * Germany started the Great War, but the Left can’t bear to say so - In this centennial year, it’s more important than ever that we treat the truth with respect - 6th January 2014



Articles: 2013

 * What a New York scandal can teach us about the poorly paid - London’s Living Wage is a less heavy-handed way of helping some of our hardest workers - 30th December 2013
 * Add the EU to the list of myths we’re brainwashed to believe - Like corks, and turning off mobiles on planes, 'Europe’ may one day turn out to be pointless - 23rd December 2013
 * I was planning on a dash for the aspirin – and then you rang in - Rich rainmakers and hedgies need to copy the generosity shown by the Telegraph’s readers - 9th December 2013
 * Is it beyond the wit of tech wizards to stop phone theft? - Genuine businesses will suffer for as long as IT companies refuse to crack the crime - 2nd December 2013
 * A divorce from Scotland would be stupid, wretched and painful - Like a bickering couple, our countries need a counsellor to step in and make us see sense - 25th November 2013
 * We should be humbly thanking the super-rich, not bashing them - As well as creating jobs and giving to charity, the wealthy should be hailed as Tax Heroes - 18th November 2013
 * Marine A must face justice, but the law has its limits in warfare - Unlike other countries, Britain is allowing its soldiers to be hobbled by the 'right to life’ - 11th November 2013
 * China built its HS2 in two years. Don’t let Labour derail ours - Balls and Co thought it was a great idea. Until they spotted a chance to woo the sceptic vote - 4th November 2013
 * Make a song and dance about this maestro of the musical - How could I possibly snooze in my seat when confronted with the brilliance of Sir Tim - 28th October 2013
 * It’s mad to blame our housing crisis on 'blooming foreigners’ - Talent and investment from abroad will help create jobs and build the homes we need - 21st October 2013
 * It's a vigorous, voracious press that keeps our country honest - Regulating the media would undermine its ferocious ability to highlight wrongdoing - 14th October 2013
 * Tax relief is just the ticket to placate hard-hit commuters - Workers who use public transport daily deserve protection from unavoidable fare rises - 7th October 2013
 * Ed Miliband in power 'like a turbine on a windless day' - It is astounding that people are falling for the opposition leader’s Wonga-like offer - 30th September 2013
 * At last, we see Ed in his true colours, waving the red flag - The Labour leader wants more socialism, an idea that has failed all over the world - 23rd September 2013
 * Condescending Lord Clegg, the invincible loser of British politics - Luckily, there’s every chance the Lib Dems will be out of office after the next election - 16th September 2013
 * Milisecond (n): the time it takes Ed to do the unions’ bidding - The Falkirk debacle shows Labour is still in hock to Unite – and that’s bad for all of us - 9th September 2013
 * The delayed attack on Syria is good for Britain – and the PM - By postponing military action, MPs did the right thing – and paid tribute to David Cameron - 2nd September 2013
 * The Aussies are just like us, so let’s stop kicking them out - It’s disgraceful that teachers from Down Under don’t get the same rights as the French - 25th August 2013
 * Forget about trying to contain Germany – we should copy it - The reunification of this great nation has been one of the success stories of modern times - 22nd July 2013
 * Miliband is taking his cue from loser Kinnock, not winner Blair - The Labour leader is doomed to fail because he offers nothing that raises a nation’s hopes, writes Boris Johnson - 1st July
 * The weather prophets should be chucked in the deep end - Homeowners lumbered with useless swimming pools know precisely who they should blame - 24th June 2013
 * We’ve left it too late to save Syria – this conflict can never be won - It would be madness to arm the rebels in what has become a brutal religious war - 17th June 2013
 * The proud moment when I realised I was worth hacking - A strange, late-night message confirmed Boris Johnson's suspicions – internet privacy doesn’t exist - 10th June 2013
 * By standing united, we can isolate the virus of Islamism - Those responsible for the Woolwich atrocity must not be allowed to provoke and divide us - 28th May 2013
 * Hop on and off the bus for a ride to freedom and growth - The new Routemaster will boost the economy as well as restore the benefits of healthy risk - 20th May 2013
 * We must be ready to leave the EU if we don’t get what we want - There are pros and cons to staying in Europe – and it’s time to talk about them - 14th May 2013
 * Follow me, I’m doing my clanking bit to speed up the Age of the Bike - Nothing beats riding through the country in May – but I’ve got to pick up pace in August - 6th May 2013
 * Keep calm, everyone – now is not the time to do a Nicolas Cage - Far from being bad news, the rise of Ukip is actually a good sign for the Conservative Party - 29th April 2013
 * We can’t afford to ignore our dynamic friends in the East - The Gulf is booming, its people love Britain and they want to invest here. Let’s encourage them - 22nd April 2013
 * Thatcherism is no museum piece – it’s alive and kicking - Britain could benefit hugely from the astral guidance of its heroic former prime minister - 15th April 2013
 * Margaret Thatcher: brave, principled, electric - Lady Thatcher’s legacy speaks powerfully to every politician in Britain today, writes Boris Johnson, and we all stand in her shade - 9th April 2013
 * Migrants get jobs because they work harder than us - Labour’s education policies left our young people lacking the skills or ambition to compete - 8th April 2013
 * It’s bobbies, not buildings we need in the fight against crime - Closing police stations isn’t popular, but it won’t make life any easier for criminals - 25th March 2013
 * Leveson report: Only a gutter press can keep clean the gutters of public life - Legislation to control newspapers threatens our global reputation for honest dealing - 18th March 2013
 * Justice is put to the sword by Moscow’s greed and corruption - The ludicrous 'trial’ of a whistleblower killed for his pains ranks among Russia’s darkest hours - 11th March 2013
 * This cap on bankers’ bonuses is like a dead cat – pure distraction - EU autocrats think that by blaming the City of London, they have an entire continent fooled - 4th March 2013
 * One thing’s clear about Eastleigh: it’ll be a wretched day for Labour - The magnificent Maria may see off the yellow peril, but Miliband’s man is already down and out - 25th February 2013
 * Mansion tax: Labour shows its true colours with this spiteful tax on homes - If the two Eds get their way, an Englishman’s home will not be a castle, but a leaky ruin - 18th February 2013
 * They love horse meat in France, so why do we turn our noses up? - It’s all down to taboo, mankind’s way of defining ourselves and avoiding chaos - 11th February 2013
 * Blaming the outsider is the first instinct, but mustn’t be the last - When the cat returns bloodied and battered, surely there can only be one guilty party - 4th February 2013
 * Only a coward would deny the people their voice on Europe - The Labour leader’s rejection of an in-out EU referendum is blatantly undemocratic - 29th January 2013
 * It’s snowing, and it really feels like the start of a mini ice age - Something is up with our winter weather. Could it be the Sun is having a slow patch? - 21st January 2013
 * What a relief! The madness of child benefit for all ends today - It makes no sense for the affluent middle classes to be showered with taxpayers’ cash - 7th January 2013
 * This new year, raise your glass to a Buy British campaign - A taste of English wine shows how we can put the sparkle back into home-grown products - 1st January 2013



Articles: 2012

 * How Gangnam Style and Fifty Shades gave culture a spanking - It’s time to set aside embarrassment and celebrate the two great masterpieces of 2012 - 24th December 2012
 * Let’s not dwell on immigration but sow the seeds of integration - Thanks to Labour, the dam has burst – so it’s up to all of us to make the best of it - 18th December 2012
 * Ignore the doom merchants, Britain should get fracking - It’s green, it’s cheap and it’s plentiful! So why are opponents of shale gas making such a fuss?? - 10th December 2012
 * I’ve seen the future in India, and Britain can share the spoils - Indian dynamism puts the eurozone to shame. This is where we need to be doing business - 26th November 2012
 * Not a single penny more for the EU’s begging bowl - The demand for a budget increase amid such an abuse of public funds is outrageous - 19th November 2012
 * BBC investigation: Smearing an innocent man’s name is the real tragedy here - The BBC should prove that 'Newsnight’ was not acting with malice towards Lord McAlpine - 12th November 2012
 * Listen up, Mitt – because I’ve got the key to the White House - Planet Earth is rooting for Obama, but his rival can change that with one simple gesture - 5th November 2012
 * Newspapers are worth fighting for – even when they’re wrong - Our imperilled press has proved its value. Don’t let over-regulation weaken it fatally - 30th October 2012
 * Don’t honour a Brussels office block – give the Nobel to Maggie - Britain’s former prime minister has done far more than the EU to foster peace in Europe - 15th October 2012
 * I'm in favour of gay marriage and I can't see what all the fuss is about - In so far as marriage is a legal and secular recognition, by the state, of a union between two people, then that institution needs to move with the times - 10th October 2012
 * London has turned its back on the very people it needs most - A home-buying scheme to aid the 'squeezed middle’ is essential to protect the economy - 8th October 2012
 * I’m sorry to say it, but my old school chum isn’t PM material - The party leader and I go back a long way, but the time has come for a few political truths - 1st October 2012
 * British businesses are taking an unfair whacking from America - BP has made mistakes, but its endless battering from the US authorities is out of all proportion - 17th September 2012
 * Britain shines as a beacon of enlightenment in the world - No degree of cynicism can undo the good achieved during the extraordinary summer - 10th September 2012
 * The beautiful nation of Croatia is placing its head in the Brussels noose - Croatia has escaped one doomed federal structure – only to shackle itself to another - 3rd September 2012
 * Paralympians have more of the Right Stuff than anyone on Earth - There is a mad rush for tickets to the Games that will round off an awe-inspiring summer - 27th August 2012
 * London and Team GB – take a bow. You’ve dazzled the world - This glorious festival hasn’t changed us, but it has shown just what we’re capable of - 13th August 2012
 * Here’s 20 jolly good reasons to feel cheerful about the Games - There are semi-naked women in Horse Guards – and you can even zorb in Hyde Park - 30th July 2012
 * True athletes like Wiggins can inspire us to a brighter future - If we learn from the efforts of the great Olympians, prosperity will surely follow - 23rd July 2012
 * To avoid the Olympic weather forecast, please look away now - So what if the expert view is that an Ice Age is imminent – the cold never held Britain back - 16th July 2012
 * Stop bashing the bankers – we have no future without them - Wrongdoers must be punished, but the City’s jobs and investment are simply irreplaceable - 9th July 2012
 * To swim, perchance to drown, is an undeniable human right - The Port of London Authority should take a running jump into the Thames - only they've just made it illegal - 2nd July 2012
 * House of Lords reform: Nick Clegg's crazy plan is a pay day for has-beens and never-wozzers - Lib Dem proposals for elected 'senators’ will give the Upper House the upper hand - 25th June 2012
 * Europe heading for democratic dark ages - A Greek economy run by Brussels will ignore the lessons of history, leading to more misery - 18th June 2012
 * Hail Mayor Mike and the paper cups that will not runneth over - Britain could learn valuable lessons from New York’s radical plans to tackle obesity - 11th June 2012
 * The Queen's Diamond Jubilee: The people bunted for Britain – even the Royals were stunned - They came and they cheered: for the boats, the city, the country, but mostly for their Queen - 4th June 2012
 * Put out the bunting. This is the age of the Second Elizabethans - As we celebrate the Queen's glorious reign we should remember to count our blessings - 28th May 2012
 * Europe is driving full-tilt, foot on the pedal, into a brick wall - It’s unbelievable that we should be urging our neighbours to adopt a tighter fiscal union - 21st May 2012
 * The statist, defeatest and biased BBC is on the wrong wavelength - What is needed is a Tory at the top to help Britain rediscover its spirit of enterprise - 14th May 2012
 * What football teaches us about creating a thriving jobs market - You can’t make people perform better simply by excluding the foreign competition - 7th May 2012
 * The big red bus that could take me straight back to City Hall - As the mayoral election looms, the Routemaster is a shining example of how to spend wisely - 19th March 2012
 * It’s a huge mistake to forbid a tiny act of Christian worship - The right of Nadia Eweida to wear a crucifix is unassailable and must be upheld - 12th March 2012
 * There are a billion reasons we should close this tax loophole - Stamp duty avoidance by the super-rich is a scandal that is costing the country a fortune - 5th March 2012
 * Brussels is slowly beeting the life out of our sugar industry - Our proud history of sugar-making is under threat from EU protectionism - 20th February 2012
 * On top of everything else, Abu Qatada costs us a small fortune - Rather than waste police resources, we should give him a one-way ticket to Jordan - 12th February 2012
 * It’s too late for other Europeans to be as efficient as Germans - The euro prevents the differences in currency strengths that once evened things out - 30th January 2012
 * Fred the Shred and the Occupy crowd should take up Scouting - Uniformed youth groups play a vital role but are short of leaders - 23rd January 2012
 * Isn’t it just as likely that Britain will hit the rocks and break up? - The Costa Concordia crew will no longer believe that stranger things happen at sea - 16th January 2012
 * Maggie's magic came from her contempt for complacent men - Mrs Thatcher hated the kind of boardroom greed David Cameron is trying to stamp out - 9th January 2012
 * Join me in Dr Johnson’s New Year Diet – it’s a piece of cake - Anxious Britons set the standard for obesity, and it’s time we did something about it - 2nd January 2012



Articles: 2011

 * Olympic lessons from when we really were running on empty - The London Games of 1948 demonstrate how austerity can be turned into a sporting triumph - 27th December 2011
 * The Frogs do love us – they’re just hopping mad with Germany - Our entente with the French is still cordiale, but they badly need someone to shout at - 19th December 2011
 * We’re right about the euro - that’s why Europe is angry - The latest summit failed to provide any solution to the crisis in the single currency - 12th December 2011
 * The gospel of Clarkson puts bread on the tables of Britain - Until someone comes up with a better idea, the consumer-driven market is our only hope - 5th December 2011
 * A day off school, but the lesson on pensions hasn’t been learnt - Labour should tell the teachers and other public sector workers to call off this strike - 28th November 2011
 * EU crisis: The Greek Austerity Diet will only leave them feeling fed up - Bullying the benighted nation into submission for the sake of saving the euro will backfire - 14th November 2011
 * Metal thieves dishonour the war dead with their vandalism - Those who desecrate memorials are beneath contempt and must be properly punished - 7th November 2011
 * Don't let the Scots steal this hour because they want a lie-in - Britain would be better off and lives would be saved if we had summer time all year round - 31st October 2011
 * The lesson for Europe from the beach at Arromanches - Only mutual hostility and chaos will come from the dire attempts to preserve the euro - 24th October 2011
 * A new literary genius could be hard at work on a London bus - Children might not be able to use a pen these days, but they have new means of expression - 17th October 2011
 * Without a new airport, British businesses will be left behind - Our inability to fly to new destinations gives European firms a major trade advantage - 10th October 2011
 * Ed Miliband is one export that would scupper our rivals - The Labour leader's message about 'bad' capitalism would get short shrift in Shanghai - 3rd October 2011
 * BC or BCE? The BBC's edict on how we date events is AD (absolute drivel) - Objecting to the use of Christ's birth to mark each year is puerile political correctness - 26th September 2011
 * How bailiffs reap the fraudulent rewards of their 'phantom visits' - Charges for bailiffs' visits that are never made may be costing businesses and householders tens of millions of pounds - 26th September 2011
 * Britain should bang up the trouble-makers, but let's turn them round, too - Crazily high reoffending rates can be cut by striking a radical deal with binge drinkers - 19th September 2011
 * David Walliams's Thames swim: it will take a super-sewer to get London out of this mess - Unless we act, neither man nor beast will survive the Thames in 10 years’ time - 12th September 2011
 * Gaddafi: first we fete them, then we bomb them - but that’s politics - Politicians will soon be sucking up to people like Gaddafi again if it’s in the national interest - 5th September 2011
 * resurrection of English cricket can inspire us all'' - Youngsters in the inner cities need rules and role models – and sport can provide both - 22nd August 2011
 * riots: this is no time to be squeamish'' - The lesson of last week’s riots is clear: we need robust policing – and a way to give young people moral guidance and hope - 15th August 2011
 * Breivik: There is nothing to study in the mind of Norway’s mass killer'' - We can ignore his puerile ideology. Anders Breivik was interested only in himself - 25th July 2011
 * owe a great debt to paintballing'' - Paintballing may simply be fun, but the fantasy of a war game is left for dead by the countless other benefits it offers - 11th July 2011
 * 2011: Game, set and tax – why Andy Murray will always get clobbered'' - A 50 per cent top rate will do little to raise the game of our aspiring tennis champions - 4th July 2011
 * torchbearer for the Chinese way of doing things'' - Prime Minister Wen Jiabao thinks the Bard is the world's greatest writer. Well, he would - 27th June 2011
 * greatest gift to the Greeks might be to let them go it alone'' - Bail-outs and austerity measures are only making the country’s burden harder to bear - 19 June 2011
 * this rain, it's the drought that we need to think about'' - A network of canals is needed to carry water from the wet North to the dry South - 13th June 2011
 * last, an Oxbridge for those who can’t get into Oxbridge'' - A private university that will take on the cream of the rejects is a simply brilliant idea - 6th June 2011
 * League final: The beautiful game is not for us, after all – anyone for rugby?'' - If Manchester United can be bamboozled by Barcelona, there can be little hope for the rest of us - 30th May 2011
 * I agree with Ken Clarke – we shouldn't just lock them up'' - Prison sentences are a vital deterrent, but we need to teach offenders that crime doesn't pay - 23rd May 2011
 * world must speak up over the detention of Ai Weiwei'' - Just because China is a super-power doesn’t mean we should be afraid of criticising it - 16th May 2011
 * be clear: Osama bin Laden was executed – and for good reason'' - Imagine the media circus if the Americans had put the al-Qaeda chief on trial in New York City - 9th May 2011
 * you take AV as your lawful system? After all this, I think not'' - It might sound funny, but the royal wedding may have inadvertently killed off the Yes vote - 2nd May 2011
 * the new royal star – but let's remember the others'' - With good humour and little publicity, Camilla cheers people up wherever she goes - 18th April 2011
 * thing is bugging me about this News of the World phone-hacking scandal'' - The public is right to be appalled – but surely News International weren’t the only culprits - 11th April 2011
 * the man whose job is to spread gloom in the sunshine'' - Despite myriad reasons to be cheerful, Labour spin must insist that everything is a disaster - 4th April 2011
 * Ed Miliband should have said to the Hyde Park throng'' - Until Labour comes clean about what it would cut it cannot be taken seriously - 28th March 2011
 * Taking on Colonel Gaddafi is a noble cause, but the risks are huge'' - Only with the support of the Arab world can intervention in Libya end without disaster - 21st March 2011
 * are the terrors of the earth, but they're not our fault'' - Why do we insist on blaming ourselves for natural disasters like the earthquake and tsunami in Japan - 14th March 2011
 * betrayal of the Lockerbie victims returns to haunt us'' - Britain, seen as weak and untrustworthy, can offer no meaningful show of strength in Libya - 7th March 2011
 * was a last gasp from Gordon Brown's bunker – and it's a gigantic fraud'' - We would be mad to adopt a system that is less fair than the one we already have - 28th February 2011
 * ski helmets can teach us about keeping libraries open'' - Just as skiers must be free to wear what they want, local people must decide on spending priorities - 21st February 2011
 * blue badge of the disabled fails those who need it most'' - Wheelchair users such as the BBC’s Frank Gardner deserve parking permits of their own - 14th February 2011
 * slap on the bottom, and a kick in the teeth for the economy'' - The John Lewis discrimination case shows the true absurdity of the industrial tribunal system - 7th February 2011
 * the Aussies want to bend the knee to the Queen'' - Hereditary power is so deeply appealing that the staunchest republicans can't resist - 31st January 2011
 * four-star fuel lunacy that could drive the country to a standstill'' - The Government must address the plight of Britain's poor motorists - 24th January 2011
 * beaten up in cyberspace does no one much harm'' - Internet debate can be coarse, but it really does hold journalists and politicians to account - 17th January 2011
 * show booming India that we know our onions'' - We need to capitalise on our shared language, culture and history - 10th January 2011



Articles: 2010

 * Mick's a Sir, why can't Keef have the same satisfaction?'' - Never mind the scandals, the Stones' Keith Richards is a gifted artist who deserves a knighthood - 28th December 2010
 * man who repeatedly beats the Met Office at its own game'' - Piers Corbyn not only predicted the current weather, but he believes things are going to get much worse - 20th December 2010
 * Europhiles should be forced to crawl in penitence'' - The 'blimpish Little Englanders’ who opposed monetary union were right all along - 13th December 2010
 * I can’t set the SAS on Fifa – so I’ve declared war on traffic cones'' - Jams caused by endless roadworks are as irritating as losing the World Cup bid - 6th December 2010
 * is best placed to host the 2018 World Cup'' - I hope that tonight’s Panorama about Fifa will not prejudice our World Cup bid - 29th November 2010
 * W. Bush can’t fight for freedom and authorise torture'' - If the West’s aim is to spread the rule of law, it cannot be achieved by vile means - 15th November 2010
 * journalists at the BBC went on strike? That's news to me'' - Boris Johnson says its current affairs programmes no longer play a pivotal role in his life – or that of the nation - 7th November 2010
 * a certain submarine, we cannot let Trident run aground'' - Britain needs to keep its nuclear arsenal, even if it's made in – and controlled by – the United States - 25th October 2010
 * road to a university place must begin when a child is five'' - Higher education often comes too late for those without an incentive to learn - 11th October 2010
 * should be a law against these Tube strike militants wrecking your lives'' - The Tube strike is a political attack on the Coalition, with ordinary workers as the victims - 4th October 2010
 * Ed forgotten the lessons we learnt at school?'' - Labour's new leader looks like being under the thumb of the unions – harking back to the bad old days of the 1970s - 27th September 2010
 * visit: Blimey. What to say to the Pope? A good joke ought to clinch it. . .'' - Waiting to meet Benedict XVI, Boris Johnson feels his sense of humour rising to the occasion - 20th September 2010
 * needs immigrants, but it also needs tough border controls'' - Labour's open door policy was a disaster, but the Coalition is deterring people we need - 13th September 2010
 * bonus season is coming – and Ed Balls is right to foresee a train crash'' - Banks need to do more this Christmas than hand out bumper cheques to their staff - 6th September 2010
 * I'd do to the wheelie-bin woman'' - In Tanzania, Boris Johnson rediscovers a wilderness worthy of deep and lasting respect - 30th August 2010
 * is human nature to seek the holy'' - Celebrities are prepared to risk their reputations to be pictured in the company of greatness - 9th August 2010
 * is taking off, but our wings are clipped'' - Istanbul's gleaming airport is a symbol of a nation going places. Heathrow is not - 2nd August 2010
 * is bad for us – so why don't we do something about it?'' - The best way to teach reading and writing must be settled once and for all - 19th July 2010
 * streets are suffering from a monstrous plague of blotches'' - Bin it, wrap it or even swallow it, but if you spit gum on to the street you must be fined - 12th July 2010
 * the heroic parents who let their children cycle to school'' - The couple who have shown faith in their children – and London's streets – should be applauded, not hounded - 6th July 2010
 * why England came a cropper'' - Our World Cup thrashing can be traced to the ban on competitive school sports - 28th June 2010
 * blow our vuvuzelas for a bright South African future'' - The World Cup has given the host nation renewed pride and hope for the future, says Boris Johnson - 21st June 2010
 * can live with the despair. It's the hope I can't stand'' - It is our destiny to suffer when the national team plays – but fear not, we can still triumph - 14th June 2010
 * here's an idea. Let's bring Harry Potter home'' - Hogwarts is as British as feasts in the dorm – so why is the new theme park in Orlando - 7th June 2010
 * MPs should be sent down the Tube'' - Why should the taxpayer continue to pick up the bill for state-sponsored cars - 1st June 2010
 * can take no pleasure from the euro's fall'' - Euro-sceptics should not gloat over the eurozone crisis – we'll feel the pinch too - 24th May 2010
 * Clegg and Cameron can cosy up, so can we'' - The plight of the lonely is a shameful stain on society that we should wipe clean - 17th May 2010
 * Election 2010: Get Gordon Brown out of the bathroom and deal with the real problems'' - We need to avert our eyes from the soap opera and focus on the economy - 10th May 2010 (General Election 2010)
 * Brown is a goner - bring on Peter Mandelson'' - Forget Harriet Harman or David Miliband, there is only one person fit to run Labour after this general election - 3rd May 2010
 * Election 2010: Only two can play – which leaves no room in the game for Labour'' - Peter Mandelson's leg-up to Nick Clegg may prove costly in what is essentially a two-party system - 26th April 2010
 * for PM? What is this madness?'' - The Liberal Democrats are a bunch of euro-loving road-hump fetishists who would be a disaster in power - 19th April 2010
 * last, people are tuning in to Dave's message'' - David Cameron has transformed the Tory Party and can do the same for the country - 12th April 2010
 * right: only wealth creation will help us now'' - Business needs the Tories' planned NI cut to get the economy back on its feet - 5th April 2010
 * are we paying to educate EU students?'' - the next PM should take a leaf out of Margaret Thatcher's book and demand a rebate - 22nd March 2010
 * about Latin makes me want to weep with rage'' - How can we understand our world unless we understand the ancient world first - 15th March 2010
 * the prophets of doom - I'm proud to be a baby boomer'' - The world is a happier place thanks to my generation, and the next will look after itself - 8th March 2010
 * to win? You must be joking'' - Forget the polls and keep an eye on the bookies – voters will give the Tories a chance - 1st March 2010
 * ski helmets by all means, but I’m sticking to a woolly hat'' - The slopes are no more dangerous, so why is everyone following the herd - 22nd February 2010
 * Greeks must be rueing the day they whacked the drachma'' - If Hellenic pride is currently at a low ebb, just wait until the EU steps in - 15th February 2010
 * will be in power for ever if Cleggie gets PR'' - Proportional representation gives too much power to minorities and the party machines - 8th February 2010
 * economy class, Lord Mandelson'' - Taxpayer-funded perks for state officials are a wasteful and shameless self-indulgence - 1st February 2010
 * pining for life on Pandora and come back to planet Earth'' - All this doom and gloom associated with the 3D epic 'Avatar' is bizarre - 25th January 2010
 * Johnson v Will Hutton'' - Is London's banking system a vital cog that keeps the capital running, or a timebomb in the British economy? Let the debate begin... - The Guardian, 24th January 2010
 * appeal is no mystery'' - Blood is brighter in the snow - plus we expect Nordic countries to be more virtuous - 18th January 2010
 * roadworks scam that costs Londoners £1 billion every year'' - Private companies should require a time-limited permit to dig up the roads - 11th January 2010
 * to beat crime? Kiss and make up'' - People are often frustrated by a complicated justice system when all they want is an apology - 4th January 2010



Articles: 2009

 * toy gun has restored my faith in Britain and the free market'' - Ingenuity is thriving and it will solve the problems facing humanity - 28th December 2009
 * the Americans can afford to buy Cadbury, then let them'' - Sentimentality over an undoubtedly great bar of chocolate can't stop market forces - 7th December 2009
 * healthy London is the best medicine for Scotland'' - The capital is the powerhouse for the rest of the United Kingdom. It deserves better - 30th November 2009
 * tests say I have leukaemia... hang on a mo, that can’t be right'' - Being sent the wrong health results makes you think about how random and pitiless the universe is - 23rd November 2009
 * should worry that Tracey is fleeing'' - The 50p tax rate will be a disaster for the economy – taking us back to the dark days of the 1970s - 16th November 2009
 * abandon Afghanistan now would be a betrayal of the fallen'' - The campaign to defeat the Taliban must endure - whatever it takes - 9th November 2009
 * remember the Ninth of November'' - The fall of the Berlin Wall 20 years ago freed millions from tyranny and poverty - 2nd November 2009
 * need the law on their side'' - We need a politician with the guts to stand up for reasonable discipline in our schools - 26th October 2009
 * barefaced greed of bankers and their bonuses beggars belief'' - City pockets are bulging with bonuses. Have the banks no shame? - 19th October 2009
 * anyone's going to make money out of misery, it may as well be us'' - Divorce capital of the world isn't an honourable, title, but at least it's a lucrative one - 12th October 2009
 * Europe does get a president, it definitely won't be Tony Blair'' - A spectre is haunting Europe, my friends. That spectre has a famously toothy grin and an eye of glistering sincerity and an almost diabolical gift of political self-reinvention - 5th October 2009
 * When one civilisation deserves its bloody nose from another'' - The Aztecs' taste for killing presents a powerful case for colonialism - 28th September 2009
 * public-sector non-jobs, not power plants, roads and rail links'' - It is only by investing for the long-term in infrastructure that we can create a strong economy - 21st September 2009
 * slobbering, sexist xenophobe who understood human nature'' - Dr Johnson was a brilliant champion of the English language and the little guy - 14th September 2009
 * is a symbol of where real power lies'' - As Westminster MPs lick their wounds, their European counterparts grow ever more confident - 7th September 2009
 * Cameron's first task should be to get his ministers out of their cars'' - Politicians should stop wasting our money and start taking public transport - 31st August 2009
 * results: are we becoming a nation of intellectual Usain Bolts, or not?'' - are our children are getting brainier, or if it's all just grade inflation - 24th August 2009
 * passing the buck on Gary McKinnon and let British common sense prevail'' - We should be protecting Gary McKinnon, not catapulting him across the Atlantic - 3rd August 2009
 * turning into a nation of hoarders'' - The self-storage industry is booming as we hoard more and throw away less - 27th July 2009
 * are now so spineless, I will never see a man walk on Mars'' - A demented scheme to vet adults who visit schools illustrates how averse the world has become to risk - 20th July 2009
 * poppycock to grow crops here but destroy them in Afghanistan'' - Why pay our farmers to produce opium while Afghan poppy crops are razed - 13th July 2009
 * and safety fears are making Britain a safe place for extremely stupid people'' - Health and safety concerns are reducing life to mindless mayhem - 6th July 2009
 * would be wrong to sneer at this outpouring of public grief'' - Michael Jackson took on the martyr's mantle once worn by Diana, Princess of Wales - 29th June 2009
 * has Ayatollah Khamenei of Iran got against little old Britain?'' - The BBC Persian service has provided protesters in Tehran with vital information at a time when the mullahs are baffled by Barack Obama - 22nd June 2009
 * spending begins with private enterprise'' - Where is the call for wealth creation amid the squabbling about cuts and investment - 15th June 2009
 * foiled the coup against Gordon Brown – and killed Labour's last hope'' - Labour's MPs have shown themselves to be more interested in their expenses than the good of the country - 8th June 2009
 * expenses: Everything will be all right when Simon Heffer rides to the rescue'' - I can't stand the tension. It is far more exciting than Britain's Got Talent, and far more important for the future of the country. Day after day the tumbrels roll past, and the guillotine falls and, amid the horrible yells of the crowd, the head of another politician is held aloft - 1st June 2009
 * are the rebel MPs who will dare to vote from the heart?'' - We need Members who defy party pressures and go with their conscience - 26th May 2009
 * oldest mother deserves congratulation not disapproval'' - criticism of Britain's oldest mother-to-be is misplaced and hypocritical - 18th May 2009
 * Savage poses no risk to British security so why won't MPs say so?'' - It is shocking that not a single MP has stood up to defend free speech - 11th May 2009
 * on blonde: Mrs T’s unassailable legacy'' - Not since Napoleon has a nation been so divided over the merits of a former leader - 4th May 2009
 * moribund Government has returned to its miserable youth'' - As debts soar, taxes rise and the IMF stands ominously by - 27th April 2009
 * on comrades, stop beating up on Georgia Gould – you created her'' - Labour's demented education policy has intensified the advantages of children of well-heeled parents - 20th April 2009
 * night in Beijing when I saw Damian McBride's true colours'' - I don't want to talk about McBride. I don't want to think about him. There is a large part of me that does not want to read another sentence about this lately exploded pustule on the posterior of the British body politic - 14th April 2009
 * bees to make our economy buzz again'' - 7th April 2009
 * you pay for their porn won't stimulate the economy'' - The Jacqui Smith affair highlights Labour's misguided attitude to public spending - 31st March 2009
 * a slogan for the G20 mob: What do we want? Free trade!'' - So here we go again, folks. It is now 10 years since the anti-capitalists attacked the City of London, and next week they intend to outdo themselves - 24th March 2009
 * a really Right-wing idea: learn poetry'' - here's an education policy to gladden diehards, enrage trendies - and preserve the glory of English literature - 17th March 2009
 * to drive fast, have a good time - and still save the planet'' - The electric car is about to revolutionise the way we drive - 10th March 2009
 * Harman's raving almost made me think of siding with Sir Fred Goodwin'' - the Government's attacks on Sir Fred Goodwin are a bid to mask its own failings - 3rd March 2009
 * exactly, will Roger Moore's knees corrupt my children?'' - The risk of going on holiday with friends is that you inadvertently expose the vagaries of your child-rearing methods to the scrutiny of others - 24th February 2009
 * servants are sitting pretty, at your considerable expense'' - it is iniquitous for the private sector to fund the lavish public-sector pension plan - 10th February 2009
 * we put a brake on free trade, the world will skid into a crash'' - the urge to save British jobs i understandable, but it could lead to disaster - 3rd February 2009
 * McKinnon believes in little green men – but it doesn't make him a terrorist'' - Americans who want a harmless hacker extradited from Britain must be from a different planet - 27th January 2009
 * me your cellos, your flutes, your abandoned didgeridoos'' - I have been exposed to all manner of beautiful musical instruments, and in my hands they might as well have been sledgehammers for all the music they produced. And so it seems to me to be a sin that there are so many young people for whom the ratio is the other way around - 20th January 2009
 * not the only bungler'' - The departing president is unmatched as a master of unintentional comedy - but for incompetence he had stiff competition - 12th January 2009



Articles: 2008

 * chutney for Christmas won't help Britain out of recession'' - if we all scrimp and save this Christmas, the economy will be in an even more dire state - 23rd December 2008
 * the Younger talks sense: no third runway at Heathrow'' - To compete with Amsterdam or Paris for the international transfer market, a new airport in the Thames Estuary is the way forward - 16th December 2008 (see also: Runway 3, The Guardian)
 * only the so-called slump in prices had started with my Christmas tree'' - 9th December 2008
 * Gear sways Boris Johnson to electric cars'' - 2nd December 2008
 * Brown's massive gamble'' - The Prime Minister is running out of time. That's why he was forced into such desperate measures at yesterday's pre-Budget Report - 25th November 2008
 * expensive vin chaud is Brown's fault'' - the shadow chancellor was quite right to warn of the risks inherent in the Prime Minister's plan to launch a great, unfunded splurge of borrowing - 18th November 2008
 * of power firms bearing cricket balls'' - Don't be talked into an electricity deal you don't want just because you like their gifts - 11th November 2008
 * election: Like us, James Bond needed America's help to beat the bad guys'' - The new 007 adventure offers some interesting parallels for an incoming president - 4th November 2008
 * crisis: Eat, spend and be merry - this is not the end of the world'' - Some people seem to think we would be better off staying at home and baking our own bread - but that is insanity - 28th October 2008
 * Obama: Why I believe he should be the next President'' - 21st October 2008
 * only thing to do is dig for victory'' - the coming recession gives Britain a chance to improve its infrastructure, as America did in the 1930s - 14th October 2008
 * it time Gordon Brown stopped the FTSE stampede?'' - the exodus of FTSE-100 firms from London is in part the result of Labour's tax regime and only Mandelson may be able to stop it - 7th October 2008
 * Labour canvasser, the dog and a lesson for troubled times'' - Sometimes there is no villain to finger and accidents happen, as in the case of the Jack Russell that is alleged to have bitten a Labour campaigner - 30th September 2008
 * Crisis: Bankers and the City of London provided a roof over people's heads'' - 23rd September 2008
 * Edmonds is wrong about licence fee'' - 16th September 2008
 * the planet by cutting down on meat? That's a load of bull'' - The UN should know better than to lecture us all about going vegetarian - the real problem is that there are too many people in the world, says Boris Johnson - 9th September 2008
 * our damsons are now in distress'' - You can never predict where disaster will strike - and it's easy to make things worse by trying to prevent bad harvests or undo economic errors - 2nd September 2008
 * is changing, but the walls against the West are still there'' - 26th August 2008
 * come over our hopeless youth?'' - the only sport in which Britain is not currently excelling at the Beijing Olympics is the national pastime of running ourselves down - 19th August 2008
 * airport: I knew we stood in hell'' - Is it conceivable that our existing airports will improve by the 2012 Olympics? - 12th August 2008
 * What I offer business - Financial Times, 16th April 2008
 * 'They are trying to beat me with lies', claims Boris Johnson - 7th April 2008
 *  It is time for High Noon on our High Streets - 17th February 2008
 * And finally, something to offend King Newt - 10th January 2008



Articles: 2007

 * Imagine British streets free from terrorising kids - 20th December 2007
 * Playgrounds too soft, mean streets too hard - 13th December 2007
 * Innumeracy is pushing the economy off the cliff - 6th December 2007
 * British Muslims should protest teddy lunacy - 29th November 2007
 * Labour's new lottery: You could be ripped off - 22nd November 2007
 * Bin those bags andoust the gum plaque - 15th November 2007
 * Health and safety did for Menezes - 8th November 2007
 * Astonishingly, I want Hillary for president - 1st November 2007
 * Global over-population is the real issue - 25th October 2007
 * Stop Brussels to save our home-made jam - 18th October 2007
 * How can we let children live in fear? - 11th October 2007
 * Brown is a quivering jelly of indecision - 4th October 2007
 * Supporting troops needn't mean backing war - 27th September 2007
 * End of Belgium should be a warning to Brown - 20th September 2007
 * The McCann saga tells us about ourselves - 13th September 2007
 * Why Londoners should vote for me - 6th September 2007
 * Together we can reclaim the streets from the young thugs - 30th August 2007



News & updates:

 * Boris Johnson caught in bicycle crash of an interview with Eddie Mair. London mayor admitted he had 'sandpapered' a quote in a Times story and failed to deny he had lied to his party leader. 24th March 2013
 * Boris Johnson apologises for Hillsborough article. Spectator article published when London mayor was editor said Liverpool 'failed to acknowledge part played by drunken fans'. 13th September 2012



References:


Links:

 * Wikpedia bio
 * Wikiquote
 * Conservatives.com: About Boris
 * They-Work-For-You.com statistics