LONDON — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's bad week got even worse Thursday when younger brother Jo walked away from his government post over their differing stances on Brexit. It was clearly a difficult decision for Jo Johnson, who had returned to government as an education minister when his big...
Johnson's Brexit Plans in Crisis After 3rd Defeat in 2 Days
LONDON — Prime Minister Boris Johnson called Wednesday for a national election on Oct. 15, saying it was the only way out of Britain's Brexit impasse after lawmakers moved to block his plan to leave the European Union next month without a divorce deal. But Parliament delivered Johnson his third...
UK’s Johnson Weakened by Party Defections Over Brexit
LONDON — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson suffered key defections from his party Tuesday, losing a working majority in Parliament and weakening his position as he tried to prevent lawmakers from blocking his Brexit plans. On a day of high drama and acerbic debate in the House of Commons, lawmakers...
UK's Johnson Moves to Suspend Parliament Ahead of Brexit
LONDON — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson maneuvered Wednesday to give his political opponents even less time to block a no-deal Brexit before the Oct. 31 withdrawal deadline, winning Queen Elizabeth II's approval to suspend Parliament. His critics were outraged. Though Johnson previously had refused to rule out such a...
UK Economy Shrinks for First Time Since 2012 as Brexit Bites
LONDON — The British economy unexpectedly shrank in the second quarter for the first time since 2012 as Brexit uncertainties heaped pressure on firms, official figures showed Friday. The decline is set to raise alarm that the economy could experience its first recession in a decade. Traders in currency markets...
As UK-EU Relations Cool, Battle Looms to Stop No-Deal Brexit
LONDON — In Brussels and London, one question is growing louder: Can Boris Johnson be stopped? Britain's prime minister says the U.K. is leaving the European Union in less than 90 days, either with a divorce deal, or — it seems increasingly likely — without one. With Britain and the...
Boris Johnson's Conservatives Face Test in Special Election
LONDON — After a first week in office that saw him booed in Scotland and berated in Belfast, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was facing his first electoral test on Thursday — a special election that could see his Conservative government's working majority in Parliament cut to just one vote....
Boris Johnson's Busy Agenda Raises UK Election Speculation
LONDON — With Britain's departure from the European Union due in less than 100 days, new Prime Minister Boris Johnson is a man in a hurry. But he's not rushing off to Brussels. The U.K. leader has no meetings scheduled with EU officials. Instead, he was in central England on...
Boris Johnson Becomes Prime Minister, Aims to Win Over Doubters
LONDON — Boris Johnson became Britain's new prime minister Wednesday, vowing to lead the U.K. out of the European Union "after three years of unfounded self-doubt." Standing outside the shiny black door of 10 Downing St., Johnson derided "the doubters, the doomsters, the gloomsters" who believe he cannot succeed in...
Undone by Brexit, Theresa May Steps Down as Conservative Leader
LONDON — British Prime Minister Theresa May's time as Conservative Party leader ended Friday, not with a bang but a whimper. May, who announced her departure two weeks ago after her career was undone by the Brexit mess, formally stepped down in a private exchange of letters with the party,...