London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Oct 06, 2025

Boris Johnson’s 2021 report card: The subjects the PM excelled or failed at

Boris Johnson’s 2021 report card: The subjects the PM excelled or failed at

The British PM, whose approval rating dropped to an all-time low this year, recently managed to unite even his own MPs against him. But the biggest challenge to his position as ‘head boy’ are his failures on health and safety.
Dear voters,

The following is a compilation of Boris Johnson’s grades for 2021, which are broken down into relevant subjects, followed by my comments. The predicted and actual grades are also included.

Management Studies


Expected Grade: D
Actual Grade: F


We have always known that Boris is a great showman and campaigner but a poor manager. The worst example of Boris’ failure to manage came in November, when Tory MP Owen Paterson was caught up in a lobbying scandal. In some ways, it is to Boris’ credit that he stood by his friend, but in doing so, he opened a can of worms and damaged his own reputation in the process.

His defence of Paterson caused a media frenzy, and the Conservatives’ jobs outside Parliament were thrust into the spotlight. Boris therefore managed to unite the majority of his own MPs against him, and his failure to control the situation led to the return of allegations of “Tory sleaze”.

Boris’ lack of management skills has also led to his class clown act wearing thin with the public. His chaotic persona is no longer seen as “Boris being Boris”, but rather that of a bumbling buffoon who is not fit to be prime minister. And for this, he scores the lowest grade: an F.

Health and Safety


Expected Grade: B
Actual Grade: F


Last year, Boris could do no wrong when it came to health and keeping the public safe. He had survived Covid himself, and the vaccine rollout was by far the best in Europe. However, this year, all goodwill towards Boris has dissipated, as he has been caught out being either a poor manager who doesn’t know what’s going on under his own roof, or a downright liar.

Last Christmas, while people were not even able to see their dying relatives, Boris’ team reportedly partied in 10 Downing Street, and then were told to leave by the back door. What is worse, Boris initially attempted to cover for his underlings, but the evidence that the party took place seems to be overwhelming.

As a result, Boris’ popularity plummeted, and he ended up losing a by-election in a constituency that had been in the possession of his party for 190 years. He is also now trailing in the polls to the uninspired Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer. Moreover, his own friends are turning against him, and the week before Christmas, 99 Tory MPs rebelled against his plans for Covid passports.

Boris’ failures regarding health and safety are by far the biggest threat to his position as head boy.

Migration Studies


Expected Grade: D
Actual Grade: F


Boris has never been comfortable with this subject, and has shown both weakness and a lack of understanding in the past. In 2021, however, his performance has been little short of catastrophic.

Around 25,000 illegal immigrants have made it across the English Channel this year, and none has so far been deported. In November, the inevitable occurred and 27 migrants died when their boat capsized in choppy waters.

The failure to get a grip on the situation must rest with Boris, because, as the saying goes, “the fish rots from the head down.” Boris has not even bothered to travel the 60 miles from London to the South Coast to see this unfolding tragedy for himself.

With regards to Migration Studies, Boris is either sleeping on the job or wants to pretend the mess in the Channel is not happening. We can only hope that he improves next year in this subject, because it would be almost impossible for him to perform any worse.

International Relations


Expected Grade: B
Actual Grade: D

A mixed bag this year for Boris. On a positive note, under his leadership, the UK has signed a number of post-Brexit free trade deals, including agreements with New Zealand, Japan and now Australia. But that’s pretty much where the positives end.

Relations with the European Union are at an all-time low, with the promised free trade deal further away than ever. Indeed, it seems as though Boris’ Brexit chickens have begun to come home to roost, especially regarding Northern Ireland. What’s more, last week, his hardline Brexit minister, Lord David Frost, quit his role, leaving the UK’s negotiating position significantly weakened.

Boris also seems to have been in constant conflict with the French this year. Whether it is about Brexit, fishing or illegal immigration, there seems to be no end to the war of words between him and his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron.

Boris also has a rocky relationship with Joe Biden. Biden clearly doesn’t like Britain, Brexit or Boris. Not only does the US president always back the EU against Boris, but he also failed to inform Boris of his nonsensical decision to withdraw from Afghanistan.

It’s been an up-and-down year for Boris on the international scene, and, next year, he therefore has many bridges to rebuild.

Sex Education


Expected Grade: A
Actual Grade: B


Boris has excelled in this subject this year. He’s not known as ‘Bonking Boris’ for nothing. He now has seven children – two in the past few years with his third wife, Carrie Symonds – which is pretty impressive for a chap of 57!

But Boris’ former indiscretions have been catching up with him. American businesswoman Jennifer Arcuri claims she had an affair with Boris when he was London mayor, and that, in return, he promised to promote her business interests. This could result in an embarrassing criminal inquiry next year.

On the whole, however, Boris has done well in Sex Education classes, regardless of his past activities, and has certainly been keeping up the British end.

Principal’s comments


All Boris’ early promise in the year has disappeared. In many people’s eyes, he is lazy and seems incapable of telling the truth. He is also clearly easily led, especially by the opposite sex, and does not seem to have any real opinions of his own.

Next year, Boris must show drastic improvement, or we will have to consider removing him from his position as head boy. This is a much coveted role, and many others would like it. If Boris doesn’t up his game, then he may well be removed by his peers, because they, like we, are fast coming to the conclusion that someone else could do a better job.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Trump Stands Firm in Shutdown Showdown and Declares War on Drug Cartels — Turning Crisis into Opportunity
Surge of U.S. Billionaires Transforms London’s Peninsula Apartments into Ultra-Luxury Stronghold
Pro Europe and Anti-War Babiš Poised to Return to Power After Czech Parliamentary Vote
Jeff Bezos Calls AI Surge a ‘Good’ Bubble, Urges Focus on Lasting Innovation
Japan’s Ruling Party Chooses Sanae Takaichi, Clearing Path to First Female Prime Minister
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Sentenced to Fifty Months in Prison Following Prostitution Conviction
Taylor Swift’s ‘Showgirl’ Launch Extends Billion-Dollar Empire
Trump Administration Launches “TrumpRx” Plan to Enable Direct Drug Sales at Deep Discounts
Trump Announces Intention to Impose 100 Percent Tariff on Foreign-Made Films
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Singapore and Hong Kong Vie to Dominate Asia’s Rising Gold Trade
Trump Organization Teams with Saudi Developer on $1 Billion Trump Plaza in Jeddah
Manhattan Sees Surge in Office-to-Housing Conversions, Highest Since 2008
Switzerland and U.S. Issue Joint Assurance Against Currency Manipulation
Electronic Arts to Be Taken Private in Historic $55 Billion Buyout
Thomas Jacob Sanford Named as Suspect in Deadly Michigan Church Shooting and Arson
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
New York Man Arrested After On-Air Confession to 2017 Parents’ Murders
U.S. Defense Chief Orders Sudden Summit of Hundreds of Generals and Admirals
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
Trump Claims FBI Planted 274 Agents at Capitol Riot, Citing Unverified Reports
India: Internet Suspended in Bareilly Amid Communal Clashes Between Muslims and Hindus
Supreme Court Extends Freeze on Nearly $5 Billion in U.S. Foreign Aid at Trump’s Request
Archaeologists Recover Statues and Temples from 2,000-Year-Old Sunken City off Alexandria
China Deploys 2,000 Workers to Spain to Build Major EV Battery Factory, Raising European Dependence
Speed Takes Over: How Drive-Through Coffee Chains Are Rewriting U.S. Coffee Culture
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Ringo Starr Champions Enduring Beatles Legacy While Debuting Las Vegas Art Show
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Colombian President Petro Vows to Mobilize Volunteers for Gaza and Joins List of Fighters
FBI Removes Agents Who Kneeled at 2020 Protest, Citing Breach of Professional Conduct
Trump Alleges ‘Triple Sabotage’ at United Nations After Escalator and Teleprompter Failures
Shock in France: 5 Years in Prison for Former President Nicolas Sarkozy
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
BNP Paribas Abandons Ban on 'Controversial Weapons' Financing Amid Europe’s Defence Push
Typhoon Ragasa Leaves Trail of Destruction Across East Asia Before Making Landfall in China
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Big Banks Rebuild in Hong Kong as Deal Volume Surges
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Arnault Denounces Proposed Wealth Tax as Threat to French Economy
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Denmark Investigates Drone Incursion, Does Not Rule Out Russian Involvement
Lilly CEO Warns UK Is ‘Worst Country in Europe’ for Drug Prices, Pulls Back Investment
Nigel Farage Emerges as Central Force in British Politics with Reform UK Surge
Disney Reinstates ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ after Six-Day Suspension over Charlie Kirk Comments
U.S. Prosecutors Move to Break Up Google’s Advertising Monopoly
Nvidia Pledges Up to $100 Billion Investment in OpenAI to Power Massive AI Data Center Build-Out
U.S. Signals ‘Large and Forceful’ Support for Argentina Amid Market Turmoil
×