Once described as a "greased piglet," Boris Johnson's path to the top of British politics was rarely free from controversy. One of his predecessors, David Cameron, made the comparison because of Johnson's ability to slip away from even the most perilous situation.

However, after a series of scandals that saw the UK prime minister repeatedly accused of lying, his political journey finally seems to have come to an end.

A privileged beginning

After a prestigious private education at Eton, Johnson went on to Oxford University and took up several roles in journalism before entering politics. He was twice elected Mayor of London– where his floppy hairstyle and bumbling persona endeared him to some and left him open to ridicule from others.

Known simply as 'Boris,' it was in 2016 that he moved his focus to national politics.

Brexit

When the UK voted on whether it wanted to stay in the European Union, Johnson parted company with his party leadership and many of his previous allies in London to become a talisman of the leave campaign. That decision would ultimately pave his way to 10 Downing Street.

When the then Prime Minister Cameron resigned after backing the campaign to remain in the EU, many thought Johnson would step in. But it didn't happen – perhaps because Johnson did not feel he had enough support from his political peers.

READ MORE

In Quotes: Calls for Johnson to resign

Robo-arm could help millions 

#MyFirstJob: How industry leaders started out 
 

Instead, he was appointed Foreign Secretary by the new Conservative prime minister Theresa May. Two years later, as she repeatedly failed to find a route to implement Brexit in the face of a divided parliament, he resigned in protest. And when May stepped down in mid-2019, Johnson's pre-Brexit credentials gave him a clear path.

And from the very beginning, he made it clear he would dedicate himself to delivering Brexit, even if it meant crashing out of the EU without a deal. After fierce parliamentary resistance, Johnson took the unprecedented move of suspending Parliament for five weeks, a decision that was later ruled unlawful by the Supreme Court.

It was one of the most controversial moves in recent political history but one that allowed the prime minister to demonstrate his dedication to delivering on his promise, whatever the cost. Backing his claim that the policy had popular support, a December election returned a sweeping Conservative majority as seat after seat in traditional opposition constituencies, known as the red wall, voted for Johnson.

Having campaigned under the slogan "Get Brexit Done," Johnson secured the UK's exit from the bloc in January 2020.

Coronavirus

But further political ambitions were derailed by the discovery of coronavirus. His government faced a barrage of criticism for failing to grasp the severity of the outbreak when it first spread across Europe.

In late March, the country went into its first national lockdown. With borders still open, cases and deaths from the virus soared and on March 27, Johnson caught the virus himself. The prime minister said he would lead the country via video link.

But days later, he was hospitalized, requiring intensive care. He would later say "I almost died from this thing" in meetings when asked about whether he took lockdown rules seriously.

In the months that followed, criticism of his government's response to COVID-19 grew stronger - both from those accusing him of failing to act firmly enough and those who felt the restrictions were excessive. The UK had one of the highest death tolls in the world in 2020 despite being one of the last major economies to suffer an outbreak of COVID-19 in western Europe.

The economic damage and unprecedented public support packages led to one of the largest financial crises of recent times. However, Johnson's reputation recovered as the UK's early investment in vaccines saw the country race ahead of its neighbors in offering protection to the population. 

By April 2021, more than half of the country had received a first vaccine dose.

'Partygate'

However, as the pandemic eased, scandal after scandal erupted around Downing Street. Some of the claims seemed relatively minor to most voters - such as allegations about how he had funded a refurbishment of his home and claims about preferential treatment for companies linked to the Conservatives. However, the flow of news meant his opponents were never short of ammunition.

Over the course of two months, details dripped out about parties that had taken place at the heart of government in defiance of laws restricting even the most limited social gatherings.

After initial denials by Johnson and his ministers were refuted by a series of leaked photographs and video footage, official reports lambasted the leadership and the police ultimately fined Johnson himself for attending one event.

However, Johnson stayed on, resisting suggestions that he should step aside for breaking his own laws. He narrowly survived a vote of confidence from his own MPs when 40 percent of his colleagues called for his removal.

The final days

Russia's attack on Ukraine allowed him to step onto the front foot, earning generous accolades from Volodymyr Zelenskyy for leading the support of Kyiv. Behind the scenes, however, support was falling away among Johnson's allies and a steady stream of resignation letters, initially from lesser-known figures, were dropping into Downing Street.

Frustration at how Johnson's team had handled another scandal - of a government official accused of misconduct - finally prompted a member of the cabinet, Sajid Javid, to quit. The second most influential figure in the government, finance minister Rishi Sunak followed immediately afterward.

Over the next 24 hours a record number of 57 government resignations and pleas from senior cabinet ministers for him to leave including from one of Johnson's most ardent supporters, Priti Patel.

Within the space of a few tumultuous years, Johnson rose to the summit of British politics gaining the largest majority in government since the days of Margaret Thatcher but despite that mandate he saw power fall through his hands.

Given his habitual knack of wriggling out of tight spots and his ongoing popularity with some in the UK,this may not be the last we've seen of the "greased piglet."

Cover image: Justin Tallis/AFP