The moment had finally come for Boris Johnson to resign as prime minister, but not before one final performance of defiance outside Number 10 Downing Street.
Rather than taking responsibility for his political downfall, Mr Johnson blamed his demise on his enemies who “changed the rules” of the game halfway through what he said had “unexpectedly turned out to be a relay race”.
This shifting of the blame will raise some eyebrows among Tory MPs, many of which – including those who backed him until the end – believe he was the only person to blame for his political career going up in flames.
As well as listing his achievements as PM and his legacy when it comes to the war in Ukraine and the vaccine rollout, he stressed that Liz Truss would do everything possible to make sure the UK got through the economic crisis ahead.
In classic Johnson fashion, he said: “I am now like one of those booster rockets that has fulfilled its function, and I will now be gently re-entering the atmosphere and splashing down invisibly in some remote and obscure corner of the Pacific.”
But many of his allies believe he may make a comeback in the future, so it’s too soon to tell how long he may remain in “the Pacific” before boarding a ship back to the UK political landscape.
‘This is it folks’: Boris Johnson calls himself a ‘booster rocket’ in final speech as PM
Liz Truss will be ‘at the centre of the storm’ with nobody more senior to consult
Liz Truss or Rishi Sunak to become next Conservative leader and PM today – as Boris Johnson returns to the backbenches
He also compared himself to the Roman leader Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus – a farmer who was called on by his fellow citizens to lead, but who returned to his plough after victory within 16 days.
Often considered to be a shining example of modesty, humility and a leader free from ego, not all would agree that this is the most fitting comparison to draw considering Mr Johnson’s humiliating attempts to cling to power before he was ousted by his own MPs.
He finished by drawing parallels between the warring wings of the Tory party and his dog Dilyn’s relationship with Larry the cat of 10 Downing Street, calling on his party to come together and find common ground for the good of the British people.
But can the Conservative Party heal from these wounds, or will those wounds become infected and ultimately lose them the next general election?
