How to Kill with a Handshake: My Favorite Boris Johnson Story

Now that Boris Johnson is leaving office it’s time to think back and find our favorite stories from his premiership. Here’s mine. What’s yours?

I’m Danish but have worked in Britain for the past 14 years. I was there when Covid-19 hit the country in early 2020. I decided to stay, but resolved to take my cues on how to deal with the pandemic from Denmark.*

Smart move, if you ask me.

On March 12, 2020, the Danish government decided to lock down Denmark and send employees and students home to self-isolate. The very same day, to my horror, I received the following email from my employer, the University of Oxford, inviting me for coffee and cakes the next day:

“To thank all staff and faculty for their support in this time of uncertainty, there will be free coffee and cakes in the Common Rooms throughout tomorrow morning, Friday 13 March.”

I read the email as an invitation to come and get infected. So, being Danish, I protested. But protest doesn’t really work in Britain. “Keep calm and carry on” is the preferred approach, including for the pandemic at this stage.