Conservative MP Henley

Date of birth

19 June 1964

Political profile

Boris Johnson, former Political Editor of the Daily Telegraph, was one of the most well known Conservative supporters in the country, even before succeeding Michael Heseltine as MP for Henley in 2001.

Like his predecessor, Mr Johnson has a thatch of thick blond hair and is a barnstorming speaker.

But there the similarities end.

Mr Johnson is a vociferous and articulate Eurosceptic, and his continuing role as Editor of The Spectator provides an ample platform for his views.

He supplements this with energetic television and radio punditry.

He is an Oxford graduate and, like many of the new Conservative intake, an Old Etonian.

He is more socially liberal than many of his colleagues, declaring that "no sane person is homophobic", but he is far from a bleeding heart - he favours the retention of Section 28.

In May 2004, Michael Howard appointed him shadow minister for the arts.

But he was sacked six months later for failing to tell the truth to Mr Howard about newspaper claims regarding his private life.

Contact

Commons office: 020 7219 8192