‘Everywhere has gone too woke’: BoJo weighs in on gender wars

Former British PM Boris Johnson has hailed Donald Trump for his diversity crackdown, as he lashed Keir Starmer over his struggle to define what a woman is.

Exclusive: Former UK prime minister Boris Johnson says American president Donald Trump should be applauded for his diversity crackdown, claiming “everywhere has gone too woke”.

In a wide-ranging interview in central London, the 60-year-old spoke in detail on Mr Trump’s second tenure as president, Australia’s looming federal election, gender wars, and whether he was considering a political comeback.

“It’s crazy. You’ve got to hand it to Donald J Trump whatever people say about him, and they beat him up a lot,” Mr Johnson said.

“I’m one of the few European politicians willing to say anything positive about Donald.

“I think a lot of the stuff he’s done on DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion), on trying to change the tack on wokery, he has been completely vindicated”.

Former UK prime minister Boris Johnson says American president Donald Trump should be applauded for his diversity crackdown, claiming “everywhere has gone too woke”. Picture: Saul Loeb/AFP

Mr Johnson hit out at the British government led by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, particularly in his struggle to define what a woman is.

“The Labour Party in the UK has just discovered what a woman is, it’s unbelievable,” he said laughing.

“Labour is absolutely infested with wokery and the reluctance to deal with this.

“What I used to say when I was prime minister is that you should have safe spaces for women, you should not have men in women’s jails.

“You should not have biological men competing in women’s sport and you should not be having young people under the age of 18 being given state funding and help to change sex. I just think that’s bonkers.”

Former UK prime minister Boris Johnson speaking with News Corp Australia's Europe correspondent Sophie Elsworth at his London office in Westminster. Picture: Nigel Howard/Nigel Howard Media

On April 16, in the UK’s Supreme Court, judge Lord Hodge delivered an 88-page judgment in London that found “the definition of the terms woman and sex in the Equality Act 2010 refer to a biological woman and biological sex”.

Wearing Australian brand Blundstone boots, the former Conservative Party leader was asked for his tip on who will win Australia’s upcoming federal election but he was coy.

“It’s very important people like me, friendly politicians, don’t try and get involved in those elections,” Mr Johnson said.

Of Russian president Vladimir Putin’s announcement of a three-day ceasefire in the war in Ukraine this week, and Mr Trump’s commitment to a permanent one, Mr Johnson said: “I agree with that.”

“Credit should be given to the president (Mr Trump) for trying to end it (the war), it’s not easy,” he said.

“He’s genuinely trying to bring both sides together and get a deal.”

He said the US, Europeans and Britain need to “really start to put the hard word on Putin” to end the war and “we haven’t done that”.

Mr Johnson also criticised Sir Keir’s efforts to try and end the Russia-Ukraine war, “like being savaged by a dead sheep”.

“It’s like having as much impact as a handkerchief falling on your foot in a crowded tube,” he said.

“That’s about how impressive, inspirational Keir Starmer is OK”.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky (right) meets with US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of Pope Francis's funeral at St. Peter's Basilica at The Vatican. Picture: AFP Photo/Ukrainian Foreign Ministry

When quizzed on whether a political comeback was on the cards – or Boris 2.0 – he quickly quashed the idea.

“I’ve got about as much chance of re-entering British politics as being reincarnated as an olive or blinded by a champagne cork … or being decapitated by a frisbee,” Mr Johnson said.

“I only really want to do something if I could conceivably be useful.

“I don’t see it at the moment and I think Kemi (Badenoch) is doing a very good job”.

As for the Conservative Party joining forces with Nigel Farage’s right-wing Reform UK, which has surged past the Conservative Party in the polls to be on par with Labour, Mr Johnson was dismissive.

“I think trying to do a deal with another party is like trying to increase your sexual attractiveness or potency by having some sort of surgical procedure,” he laughed.

“It’s painful, it’s expensive and it’s ludicrous and probably doomed, right, so that’s what I think about trying to do a deal with Reform.”

Since quitting politics in 2023, Mr Johnson said he now spends a lot of his time “writing, I’m painting a lot but very badly … I have three small children which is a lot of effort, it really is”.

Last year he visited Australia to promote his 772-page book, Unleashed, which discussed in detail the highs and lows of his political career.

And as for who cuts his scruffy looking hair, he laughed: “She’s called Georgia … she does Carrie my wife’s hair and she comes in sometimes and has a crack at mine, but I haven’t seen her for a long time I’m afraid.”

Originally published as ‘Everywhere has gone too woke’: BoJo weighs in on gender wars