‘Bastion of freedom’: Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson calls on Liberty students to uphold Western ideals

The Right Honorable Boris Johnson, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (2019-22) and a driving force behind the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union (EU) in 2020 (Brexit), delivered a passionate Convocation address on Wednesday, reminding students to safeguard the vital freedoms that built America and sustain Western civilization.

The former Leader of the UK’s Conservative Party, who previously served as Foreign Secretary (2016-18) and Mayor of London (2008-16), didn’t hold back his admiration for the United States, even voicing his support for its secession from England 250 years ago.

“You threw our tea into Boston Harbor,” Johnson reminded the crowd of 16,000 students, who erupted in applause. “I support you because you did not want to be ruled from overseas by bodies you did not control. And I understand those feelings. One of the reasons I was determined to deliver Brexit was because I love that spirit of freedom in this country. And I wanted to bring that spirit of freedom back home.”

Johnson said Western universities like Liberty are championing and preserving freedom.

“This university is a bastion of freedom — freedom of thought, freedom of conscience, freedom of association, religion, and of course, speech,” he said. “And all of those freedoms are increasingly precious and are under threat in the world today. And there can be no clearer proof of the threat to free speech than the tragic murder, one month ago, of Charlie Kirk — a martyr to our inalienable right as human beings to say what is in our hearts and what we honestly think. And I hope, by the way, that I’m looking at the next generation of Charlie Kirks.”

The former Prime Minister provided students a brief survey of global geopolitics, outlining the rising conflicts between Israel and its surrounding Muslim nations and the tensions between Russia and Ukraine. He also highlighted the stark contrast in governance between Western democracies and authoritarian countries like China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia, where he said the media is suppressed and citizens are imprisoned or killed for disagreeing with its leaders.

These conflicts, Johnson said, are a direct result of the divergence from freedom.

“I remember in the late 1970s and early 80s, how (Liberty founder) Jerry Falwell mobilized the freedom-loving spirit of the American people to back Ronald Reagan and to win the Cold War, and boy, do we need that spirit today,” he said. “We need all the strength and clarity and determination that was shown by Ronald Reagan, Margaret Thatcher, and Jerry Falwell, standing up to tyranny because the autocracies of the world are gaining ground every day. And I’m afraid that the West looks ever weaker and more confused.”

Brexit was the highpoint of Johnson’s tenure as Prime Minister, a feat that he claims restored freedoms for his country. He reminded students that Brexit was a turning point for the UK and a victory for British independence.

“There is nothing you can do, as a citizen of the EU, to remove from office the people who ultimately make the laws. And I think that is profoundly undemocratic,” he said. “The EU is a huge experiment in trying to create a single country out of 27 countries, with a single currency, a vast growing body of law, over which individual countries and governments have limited influence.”

Following Convocation, Johnson appeared on the Standing for Freedom Center’s “Give me Liberty” podcast with Ryan Helfenbein, the center’s executive director, where he delved deeper into the UK’s response to China’s growing economic and military influence, the long-term impact of Islamic migration on British identity, his reflections on Brexit, and more.