Boris Johnson is New Prime Minister of Great Britain
Meet Britain's new prime minister.
By: Laura Valkovic | August 5, 2019 | 375 Words
Boris Johnson (Photo by Chesnot/Getty Images)
Boris Johnson was recently announced the new prime minister of Great Britain. Great Britain is one of the USA’s closest allies around the world. It is made up of four countries: England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, and is also known as the United Kingdom (UK). In fact, the British king also governed America until the people overthrew British rule and declared independence in 1776.
Unlike the USA, which has a president, the UK has a prime minister, whose job is to lead the government. Britain also has a royal family. Right now, Queen Elizabeth II rules over the UK, although the royal family has lost much of the power it once had.
The European Union
Boris Johnson was born in New York City to English parents, and he worked as a reporter and political writer before becoming a politician. He then served as the mayor of London, the capital city of England. Boris (nicknamed “BoJo”) became prime minister on July 24, 2019. His major promise was to quickly accomplish “Brexit.” That is, to take Britain out of the European Union (EU).
(Photo by Jeff Overs/BBC News & Current Affairs via Getty Images)
The European Union is an organization that leads and controls 28 countries across Europe, including France, Germany, Italy, Greece, the UK, Romania, Poland, and others. It makes laws and rules that each member country has to follow. It also has its own currency, the euro (€), which is used in most member countries.
Brexit
In 2016, Britain held a public vote on whether or not to stay a member of the EU, and 52% of the people voted to leave, an idea that became known as “Brexit.” The country is extremely divided over whether or not Brexit is a good idea. Those in favor of Brexit argue that Britain should be able to make its own laws and decisions, while those who want to stay in the EU suggest that the country could face economic disaster if it left.
Boris Johnson was voted to become the new leader of the UK government because he promised to accomplish Brexit on October 31, 2019. However, some people believe this is impossible. If Boris breaks his promise, he could soon be voted out of office.
