Boris Johnson criticised for ‘arrogant’ exit speech that contained zero apologies: ‘Good riddance’
Outgoing prime minister Boris Johnson gives a final speech outside 10 Downing Street . (Anadolu Agency via Getty / Wiktor Szymanowicz)
Boris Johnson left 10 Downing Street for the final time with a blustering leaving speech, refusing to take responsibility right until the end.
Rather than acknowledging any of his many failures, Johnson began his final speech on Tuesday (6 September) as prime minister by stating that “the baton will be handed over in what unexpectedly turned out to be a relay race – they changed the rules halfway through”.
Speaking before he and Liz Truss flew to Balmoral – on separate planes – for a handover of power overseen by the Queen, Johnson spoke of his alleged successes as prime minister, sidestepping responsibility for his rule-breaking and the scandals that led to his downfall – including Partygate and his response to sexual assault allegations against MP Chris Pincher.
For me the most striking line in Boris Johnson’s speech was the sense that he still doesn’t think he deserves to go.
“They changed the rules” he said, rather than “I’m sorry that I broke them”.
— Paul Brand (@PaulBrandITV) September 6, 2022
Wrecking, lying, arrogant Boris Johnson exits saying ‘they changed the rules half way through…’ No they did not. He just did not obey the rules.— David Yelland (@davidyelland) September 6, 2022
He claimed that the government will have added “50,000 nurses” before the end of parliament – despite his government, days before, announcing the reintroduction of a cap on medical student places.
It will shock you to know that, contrary to what Boris Johnson said, there will not be 50,000 more nurses by the end of the Parliament, nor will the Conservatives deliver 40 new hospitals.
Consistent to the end.— Wes Streeting MP (@wesstreeting) September 6, 2022
He boasted about the UK’s COVID vaccine roll-out, neglecting to mention the fact that he has been criticised for underfunding the vaccine roll-out for monkeypox, or that a key element in his downfall was his own lockdown-breaking parties.
On the cost of living crisis, he insisted that the “Conservative government will do everything we can to get people through this crisis”, despite Truss having produced no plans to do so.
In a bizarre description of his future after his premiership, Johnson said: “Let me say that 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.
“Like Cincinnatus, I am returning to my plough.”
As I'm sure you all know, the point of Johnson's mention of Cincinnatus is that the Roman was summoned back from his farm by a grateful people in two times of crisis.#Illbeback— Roz Kaveney (@RozKaveney) September 6, 2022
Mate, if Cincinnatus had been sitting on his arse all day instead of ploughing a field when he was called to serve, if he’d stood by getting pissed while hundreds of thousands of Romans had died, if he’d decorated his fucking plough with gold paper, then you’d be like him.
— Natalie Haynes (@officialnhaynes) September 6, 2022
He finished by saying that if his dog Dylan and Downing Street cat Larry could “put behind them their occasional differences, then so can the Conservative party”.
Labour MP David Lammy tweeted: “Boris Johnson standing outside Downing Street listing imaginary achievements in a desperate attempt to claim a legacy is not going to fool anyone.
“He was exposed as a liar and a charlatan. Good riddance to the worst prime minister of the modern era.”
Boris Johnson standing outside Downing Street listing imaginary achievements in a desperate attempt to claim a legacy is not going to fool anyone. He was exposed as a liar and a charlatan. Good riddance to the worst Prime Minister of the modern era ??— David Lammy (@DavidLammy) September 6, 2022
Speaking to Sky News, deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner said: “It was a classic Boris Johnson speech, completely deluded about what’s happened over the last couple of years.”
She added that there was “the scandal and sleaze that has engulfed his party and his government”, and said that “it stunk of all the hallmarks of somebody who’s had a privileged background”.
No apology for promoting and defending Chris Pincher. No apology for defending Owen Paterson and his lobbying scandal. No apology for his lies. No apology for the cost of living inaction. Just more bluster.
Boris Johnson is a liar. I’m glad his time as PM ends today. pic.twitter.com/I8zerhahOQ— Luke Pollard MP (@LukePollard) September 6, 2022
MP Luke Pollard added on Twitter: “No apology for promoting and defending Chris Pincher. No apology for defending Owen Paterson and his lobbying scandal. No apology for his lies. No apology for the cost of living inaction. Just more bluster.
“Boris Johnson is a liar. I’m glad his time as PM ends today.”
On Monday (5 September), Liz Truss was announced as the new leader of the Conservative party, narrowly beating Rishi Sunak to become the UK’s next prime minister.
