The lying, bigoted, incompetent prime minister that is Boris Johnson has finally been booted from office.
His dragged-out departure, in which he set a record for the highest number of ministerial resignations in the space of 24 hours, has caused unnecessary damage to the country as has his entire tenure.
Standing outside Downing Street, announcing his departure, Johnson told the country that no one in politics is indispensable.
He said: “I’ve agreed with Sir Graham Brady, the chairman of our backbench MPs, that the process of choosing that new leader should begin now and the timetable will be announced next week. And I’ve today appointed a Cabinet to serve, as I will, until a new leader is in place.”
Yet throughout his speech he could not bring himself once to apologise or admit any wrongdoing.
Johnson said that the reason he tried to remain in office for so long was because “I thought it was my job, my duty and my obligation to you”.
Talking about his failed attempts to get his ministers to back him, Johnson said that in ‘Westminster, the herd instinct is powerful and when the herd moves, it moves’.
Johnson had been under intense pressure to go after both Rishi Sunak and Sajid Javid quit, after more than 50 resignations from the government payroll in the past 48 hours.
The disgraced Tory leader did however say he would try to stay on until the new Tory leader was announced, though that timetable is now down to the 1922 committee, some fear that Johnson will try to delay his departure, though many Tory MPs want him gone as soon as possible.
Throughout his speech, Johnson showed no contrition, no humility, something that will likely have angered his Tory colleagues even further.
Labour leader Keir Starmer has said that Johnson cannot ‘cling on’ after his resignation speech and threatened a vote of no confidence.
Speaking earlier today, Starmer said: “He needs to go completely. None of this nonsense about clinging on for a few months.
“He’s inflicted lies, fraud and chaos in the country. We’re stuck with a government which isn’t functioning in the middle of a cost of living crisis.
“And all of those that have been propping him up should be utterly ashamed of themselves.”
The Labour leader added: “If they don’t get rid of him then Labour will step up and bring a vote of no confidence.
“He needs to go. He can’t cling on,” he added. “They cannot inflict him on the country for the next few months.”
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