BORIS JOHNSON: RUTHLESS AMBITION BEHIND BUMBLING FACADE

Instantly recognisable with his mop of blonde hair, Boris Johnson’s bumbling but breezy attitude earned him a string of improbable political victories, including Brexit, but has enraged and offended in equal measure.

The Conservative MP is favourite to replace Theresa May as party leader and prime minister, having proved his pedigree as a winner by being elected twice as mayor of London, a cosmopolitan and normally left-leaning city.

Johnson’s decision to back the campaign to leave the European Union in 2016 was also viewed as a game changer in the push for Brexit.

It lost him many friends and he drew criticism for making misleading claims during the campaign.

However, it made him a strong favourite for prime minister when the post opened up in the chaos after the referendum — only to lose out when his main backer turned against him.

His subsequent appointment as foreign minister was a surprise, given his inclination for acting the clown — blundering into a series of diplomatic rows with his seemingly off-the-cuff remarks. But when he quit after two years in protest at plans to retain close ties with the EU after Brexit, many Conservative activists hailed his decision and he once again moved centre stage.

“Boris” was born in New York in 1964 as Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson into a high-achieving family. He became a journalist and was initially sacked from The Times for fabricating quotes. He then worked for The Daily Telegraph and wrote several history books. He made a name for himself as the Telegraph’s Brussels correspondent mocking the EU’s institutions and rules.

The persona he cultivated as the plucky British amateur fighting a political machine increasingly dominated by spin remained popular with the public, winning him the London mayoral elections in 2008 and 2012. His appointment as Britain’s top diplomat in 2016 was viewed as a canny move by new prime minister Theresa May. Johnson repeatedly challenged May’s Brexit strategy through newspaper articles. When he finally quit as foreign secretary, she seemed relieved.