From City Hall to Downing Street: what would Boris as Mayor tell us about Boris as PM?

As speculation mounts again about Theresa May’s longevity at Prime Minister, Boris Johnson’s star has risen once again. But what would PM Boris be like? Ben Worthy and Mark Bennister read the runes from his time as London’s Mayor

Rebels Leading London: the mayoralties of Ken Livingstone and Boris Johnson compared

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Leadership capital ebbs and flows but trends downwards,influencing political fortunes over time

How can we measure leadership? What makes a leader succeed or fail? Here Mark Bennister and Ben Worthy examine the idea of ‘leadership capital’ and offer a way to understand why some leaders ‘spend’ their ‘capital’ successfully and others squander or waste it

Why is real leadership in such short supply in UK politics?

In the aftermath of the referendum, the UK seems to be suffering from individual and collective leadership failure, write Mark Bennister and Ben Worthy. The use of fear tactics instead of thought-through strategies and of quick fixes instead of long-term visions are some of the reasons behind this failure

The art of political survival: three lessons from theresa may

Ben Worthy and Mark Bennister reflect on Theresa May’s short premiership and argue that, though her personal power did diminish after the 2017 general election, in this latter phase she retained more power of political office than often assumed

Goodbye Britain’s Berlusconi? Comparing Boris Johnson’s premiership to Silvio Berlusconi’s

Ben Worthy and Mark Bennister compare Boris Johnson and Silvio Berlusconi, writing that the former was removed from office for the same reasons as the latter, particularly their involvement in several scandals and their inability to do anything in the face of economic crisis

Johnson is neither a charismatic failure nor a tragic figure. He hasn’t made the political weather simply because he has been oversold

Ben Worthy and Mark Bennister argue that Boris Johnson as Prime Minister was overvalued and oversold

Rebels running London? The mayoralties of Ken and Boris compared

With the upcoming mayoral elections, our attention turns to mayors and their powers. Ben Worthy and Mark Bennister reflect on the terms of Ken Livingstone and Boris Johnson. They draw on their new paper to explain what it is that we can learn from how the two first elected mayors of London ran the city

Comparing Boris Johnson’s premiership to Silvio Berlusconi’s

How will Boris Johnson’s time as UK Prime Minister be remembered? Ben Worthy and Mark Bennister draw a parallel between Johnson and former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. They write that both Johnson and Berlusconi were removed from office for the same reasons, particularly their involvement in several scandals and their inability to do anything in the face of economic crisis

The Contemporary UK Prime Minister. When the Personal Becomes Political: Agency, Character, Personality and Celebrity

Alongside the focus on prime ministers within an institutional setting, it is important to recognise the significance of individual skills, styles, and personality. Differing individuals will have differing performative skill levels and different leadership styles. The premise that leadership analysis should focus on the interaction between the political skills of the leader and the institutional environment in which they are operating is one that has gained some traction in contemporary political leadership scholarship. This article concentrates on the impact of the individual on the office, considering first the agent-centred approaches to prime ministerial study and applying the interactive model of leadership capital to the contemporary UK premiership, drawing some comparisons with Japan. Focusing on the three components of leadership capital: skills, relations, and reputation of the individual in office can give us a broader picture of the trajectory of prime ministerial leadership. Individual action, perceptions of the incumbent, decision making, and style can all impact on the prime minister in office in the twenty-first centur