Boris Johnson joins Trump in redefining conservatism

Messrs. Trump and Johnson both also prevailed in part by moving away from traditional conservative economic orthodoxy. They juiced their policy offerings with promises of freer public spending to address middle- and working-class voters’ anger over the sacrifices they had been forced to make since the financial crash that began in 2007. That represents a significant departure from the positions their conservative forebears took when it came to government spending.

Speaking outside his official residence Friday, Mr. Johnson promised more spending on the nation’s public-health services, schools, policing and infrastructure. He said his government planned to unite the country and “level up” the less-advantaged.

“These conservative parties in the U.S. and U.K. are more and more throwing their lot in with working-class constituencies,” says Christopher DeMuth, a conservative scholar with the New York-based Hudson Institute who worked in the Reagan administration. “That’s a wonderful development. That is the future of conservative parties.”