Boris Johnson is the most ‘brat’ politician in the UK
New polling by Ipsos, taken August 2-5, has examined attitudes towards being ‘brat’ or having a ‘brat summer’. The ‘brat’ trend is in reference to a recent album by British pop artist Charli XCX. It encourages people to be bold, take risks and embrace the uncomfortable. It is being edgy, imperfect and confident, as opposed to being polished and having your life together. The trend gained additional cultural relevance recently when Charli XCX endorsed US Presidential candidate Kamala Harris on X, saying “Kamala IS brat”.
Overall, awareness of “brat summer” in Great Britain is low, with over half (58%) of the British public saying they have never heard of it. However, two in five 18–24-year-olds know at least a fair amount about it.
Among those who know a great deal/fair amount about the trend, former Prime Minister Boris Johnson ranks as the most ‘brat’ politician in the UK, with almost 1 in 5 (19%) saying he fits the description. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage comes in second at 18%, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his Deputy Angela Rayner following closely behind at 17% each.
Boris Johnson also ranks highest amongst those who were previously unfamiliar with the concept of ‘brat’, with 18% saying he fits the description. Once again Nigel Farage ranks second at 18%, and Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner and former Prime Minister Liz Truss are third with 17% each. However, after hearing the definition of ‘brat’, a quarter say that it doesn’t apply to any notable political figure.
Technical note
Ipsos interviewed a representative sample of 1,091 adults aged 18-75 across Great Britain. Polling was conducted online between 2-5 August 2024. Data are weighted to match the profile of the population. All polls are subject to a wide range of potential sources of error.
