In Pictures: From landslide to pandemic – PM’s 100 days since general election
Boris Johnson was swept to victory in the election on December 12, when the only word on everyone’s lips was Brexit.
Last updated: 21 March 2020 - 8.00am
Boris Johnson was swept to a landslide victory in the election on December 12, long before anyone in the UK had heard of the coronavirus.
One hundred days on, even the tribulations of Brexit have taken a backseat to the biggest public health crisis in a generation.
Leaving Conservative Party headquarters, with partner Carrie Symonds as his party romped to victory (Andrew Matthews/PA)Earlier, Mr Johnson had given his victory speech after winning the Uxbridge & Ruislip South constituency (Stefan Rousseau/PA)
This was not how it was meant to be for Mr Johnson, who secured his place in Number 10 on a promise to “get Brexit done” and revive a spirit of national optimism.
Mr Johnson and his girlfriend Carrie Symonds arrive in Downing Street after the landslide victory (Yui Mok/PA)The PM was greeted by staff after returning from his audience with the Queen on December 13 to accept her invitation to form a new government (Stefan Rousseau/PA)
After securing an 80-seat majority at the election, Mr Johnson had the political capital to reshape his Government in a reshuffle designed to reward allies and promote fresh talent.
The Tory leader welcomed his newly elected MPs at the Houses of Parliament (Leon Neal/PA)The new Cabinet was ready to ‘get Brexit done’ (Aaron Chown/PA)The Prime Minister speaks to British troops stationed in Estonia during a one-day visit shortly before Christmas (Stefan Rousseau/PA)Boris Johnson seems to salute as he welcomes new EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen to Downing Street in January (Aaron Chown/PA)Some light relief for the PM during a visit to the stand of a company that converts footsteps into energy, at the Innovation Zone during the UK-Africa Investment Summit in London in late January (Leon Neal/PA)At the same event, he spoke to the Duke of Sussex (Stefan Rousseau/PA)Members of the Chinese community were welcomed to 10 Downing to celebrate Chinese New Year on January 24 (Stefan Rousseau/PA)
His key election promise was delivered on January 31, as the UK left the European Union.
The Prime Minister blows glass before chairing a Cabinet meeting at National Glass Centre in Sunderland on the day the UK left the EU (Paul Ellis/PA)The only way is up? On February 3 Mr Johnson delivered his Unleashing Britain’s Potential speech (Frank Augstein/PA)
In February, Mr Johnson was dubbed a “part-time Prime Minister” by Jeremy Corbyn after spending time holed up in the Chevening grace-and-favour mansion rather than visiting parts of the country hit by flooding.
With Sir David Attenborough at the launch of the next Cop26 UN Climate Summit at the Science Museum in London on February 4 (PA)On February 13, a Cabinet reshuffle elevated Rishi Sunak to the post of Chancellor, less than a month before a Budget was due to be announced (Matt Dunham/PA)
At the end of February the Prime Minister’s partner Carrie Symonds announced she was pregnant and the couple were engaged.
An artist at Madame Tussauds in London fits the museum’s wax model of the PM with a baby carrier (Dominic Lipinski/PA)The couple were spotted in the stands during the Guinness Six Nations match at Twickenham (Adam Davy/PA)There was finally a visit to one of the worst-hit areas after the March floods when Mr Johnson went to Bewdley in Worcestershire (Peter Nicholls/PA)
The Prime Minister chaired his first Cobra meeting on coronavirus on March 2 and the speed with which events have progressed has given a sense of a Government – understandably – scrabbling to keep pace with the challenge posed by a new threat and rapidly evolving science.
During a visit to the command centre at the Public Health England National Infection Service on March 1 (PA)Demonstrating his hand washing technique at the Mologic Laboratory in Bedford (Jack Hill/The Times/PA)A weary looking Mr Johnson speaking at a coronavirus media briefing in Downing Street on the 99th day since the Tories won the election (PA)
