Boris Johnson and the Weaponization of History

by Alistair Somerville

February 18, 2020

Winston Churchill gives the speech inaugurating the Council of Europe in the Hague (May 7th 1948)

Politicians like to tell stories about themselves. Leaders like to tell stories about their country. The UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, is the first since Winston Churchill with both a prominent personal story and his own distinct interpretation of national history. Indeed, Johnson has attempted to co-opt Churchill…