Boris Johnson (Photo by Michael Tubi / Shutterstock)
Boris Johnson, the outgoing Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, remains unique among the holders of the high office due to the colorful and complex credits he has accumulated; Johnson was, for many people, a celebrity first and a politician second. He has a long and well-documented media career as a columnist, writer, TV presenter, documentary maker, editor of the country’s most influential political magazine (The Spectator) and also as Mayor of London.
His salaries for most of these jobs amounted to much more than what he was paid as prime minister. These positions also gave him a kind of power and influence that even politicians in power could envy. During his time as Mayor of London, government officials would pay close attention to his weekly column in the Daily Telegraph, which appeared on Monday mornings. Johnson’s popularity meant that he could cause a sitting government real problems simply by criticizing or publicly endorsing him. It makes sense, then, that Johnson, a man with seven children, an expensive lifestyle but no penchant for hard work, might relish the chance to sink back into a lucrative media career that gives him plenty of free time. However, Johnson’s friends and colleagues are not convinced that he is done with politics at the front of the political stage, nor that he would pass up the chance to re-enter Downing Street if such an opportunity arose.
CNN spoke with a number of Johnson’s friends, political allies and colleagues about what they think could come next in the outgoing prime minister’s career. All spoke on condition of anonymity because of the uncertainty in British politics at the moment.
Johnson’s closest allies believe he is furious at the way he was forced out of office through political pressure over scandal rather than at the polls, in the context of his performance during the pandemic and revelations that Johnson appointed him deputy prime minister despite knowledge of past allegations of sexual misconduct inappropriate. “Most of the criticism has come from the media, not the public, and I’m afraid his MPs have caved in to the pressure. I think he still has unfinished business and I hope he stays politically active,” said a Johnson political ally.
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Whether or not Johnson can realistically return to his role as Prime Minister is a matter of debate. Johnson promised to support whoever takes over as leader and jokingly said his support for a candidate could be the kiss of death. “He has a history of doing what’s good for Boris,” says a former Downing Street adviser who worked with Johnson. However, a former campaign manager and friend of Johnson’s thinks that if things don’t go well for his successor, Johnson could start to get ideas about his own resurrection: “He can legitimately say he’s never been beaten by the electorate. He’s never Wasn’t beaten by his party – he won his vote of confidence,” says the friend. “As strange as it sounds now, it will help his media career if he keeps the idea of returning open, and it will also keep the real chance alive. The two go hand in hand.”
“If the polls start to drop once the new leader is in power, and if things seem to be going badly, he could easily motivate conservative MPs to the point where they think that once again only Boris can fix the problem and win the next election.”
Absent from this analysis so far is the inconvenient truth that the public had no say in the impeachment of Johnson or the appointment of his successor. If things start to go badly for the next prime minister, there will be an option for the Conservative Party to remove them and theoretically reinstate Johnson as their leader.
There is a final question as to whether or not Johnson will remain an MP after leaving office. He can be a backbencher but influential, a role he has enjoyed in the past. He could be a thorn in the side of the new prime minister, as many of the previous prime ministers were to their successors. Of course this is all speculative. Johnson is, contrary to his public image, a very private person that even his closest friends find it difficult to read him accurately. There’s no clear next step for Johnson, but even as he leaves the highest job in the land, his drive and ambition are still clear. One thing everyone can be sure of is that we haven’t heard the last word from Boris Johnson.
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