Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson is the incumbent Lord Mayor of London, but are we also looking at the next Prime Minister of the United Kingdom? In England we often complain and analyze, but rarely act as brashly as our American counterparts. Americans were bold enough to bring in Obama with an empowered Generation Y. Boris Johnson is no Barack Obama, but he stands his own on inspiring a nation filled with intelligent but often disgruntled voters from all walks of life.
Boris Johnson for Prime Minister – Just A Joke?
Boris Johnson was educated at the European School in Brussels, at Ashdown House School and at Eton College, where he was a King’s Scholar. He read Classics at Oxford as a Brackenbury scholar and was elected President of the Oxford Union on his second attempt. Along with David Cameron and George Osborne, Boris Johnson was a member of Oxford’s Bullingdon Club; a student dining society known for destroying restaurant dining rooms and paying for the repairs afterwards. He also graduated from Balliol College with a 2:1.
Some may see him as a joke with his scruffy look and all round “toff”-ness, but there is no denying his charisma as he has charmed the majority of the country – and most importantly, the younger generation. I was reading Alexander Shalashniy’s article, The Economist Party, and thought to myself how much Boris Johnson represents a new type of leadership in an old political system. Alex hits the nail on the head when he said “Millennials want professionalism and rationality in politics, not the current state of affairs best summed up in ‘Hollywood for the Ugly’—a sometimes post-apocalyptic nightmare dominated by a cacophony of vengeful staffers, inarticulate yokels successful only in hijacking a nomination race, and bombastic media hacks”. England is looking for her next leader and quirky Boris Johnson could fit the bill.
What About David Cameron?
As David Cameron continues to be disconnected from the public with his only saving grace being the even less desirable Ed Milliband, Boris-mania continues to grow. Every appearance, every speech, every wave and even every hilarious mistake as he bumbles through his words are met with applause and adoration. He doesn’t come without his controversies, but even those have been successfully swept under the carpet as the political juggernaut continues to plow forward with policies.
He has even intervened in a mugging on his way home from work, has got stuck on a zip-wire in public, and has publicly backed Barack Obama. Could a tactical switch be on the cards, the growing popularity to ensure another 5 years? Or maybe England will return the favour and cut him out of the job? Regardless of who runs in the next election, I reckon Generation Y will be playing a deciding role in who wins.