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Johnson then led Vote Leave, the official campaign to leave the EU, during the 2016 Brexit referendum in one of the most divisive campaigns in U.K. political history. After the event, where \"Leave\" won by a margin of 52% to 48%, the campaign was later found guilty of breaching spending laws.

Reputation

It is that controversy that makes him such a divisive political figure -- loved by some, loathed by others. British newspapers are equally divided on how to critique his leadership of the country at such a crucial moment in history.

The Evening Standard has backed him as \"the prime minister to turn Britain around,\" while the Telegraph, which employed Johnson as a columnist, says he has \"infectious optimism that his supporters hope will overwhelm the questions concerning character.\"

The Times of London, meanwhile, recently described him as a \"philanderer,\" albeit one with \"remarkable resilience.\" It highlighted criticism leveled at Johnson over his personal life and allegedly racist comments in newspaper columns.

The newspaper also pointed to a major mistake during his time as secretary of state for Foreign Affairs over his handling of a case of a British-Iranian woman detained over spying charges in Iran. The woman, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, whom Johnson said was there to \"teach journalism,\" remains in prison to date.

Abroad, his reputation is equally checkered. His time as a young journalist and his Brexit stance have won him few friends among EU leaders, whom he will have to engage with extensively as prime minister.

He has received the endorsement of Donald Trump -- crucial in the eyes of many in the Brexit camp, who see an improvement in U.S.-U.K. ties as a key opportunity once it leaves the EU. Trump has even directly compared the two, telling reporters: \"He's a different kind of a guy, but they say I'm a different kind of a guy too.\"

Johnson has repeatedly received Trump's backing and stopped short of condemning the president's recent comments about \"The Squad\" as racist in a recent debate.

What to expect

Throughout his campaign to become leader of the Conservative Party, Johnson has maintained a hard-line stance on Brexit. His position is unequivocal: The U.K. will leave the EU with or without a deal on the Oct. 31, the new deadline for leaving after May failed to pass her Brexit deal through Parliament.

Yet, with most lawmakers intensely fearful of the economic impact of a no-deal Brexit, and his ability to turn his back on previous promises, it is impossible to predict what a Johnson premiership will truly look like.

But one thing’s for sure when it comes to Britain’s \"Marmite\" candidate: Love him or hate him, politics in the U.K. is set to be invigorated once again.

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