Johnson was forced to announce his resignation earlier this month after a mass revolt against the latest in a series of scandals that his party decided had undermined his ability to lead the country after three tumultuous years in office. Speaking on his latest Prime Minister’s Questions, the weekly political calendar program that pits the prime minister against his rivals in heated debates, Johnson sought to shape his legacy around the COVID-19 response and his support for Ukraine in its defense against Russia. Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register “We helped, I helped, get this country through a pandemic and save another country from brutality. And frankly, that’s enough to keep us going. Mission accomplished,” Johnson said. “I want to thank everyone here and hasta la vista, baby.” The line, borrowed by Arnold Schwarzenegger in the 1991 film “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” and translated as “see you later”, drew a round of applause from most of his side. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson walks outside Downing Street in London, Britain, July 20, 2022. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls read more Just two weeks ago, some of those applauding had resigned from his government, criticized his leadership and called for his resignation. Reporters in the debating room said his predecessor, Theresa May, couldn’t stand a round of applause. Opponents didn’t join in the applause either, having earlier used the question-and-answer session to take aim at him on a range of policies, from the still-unfinished Brexit to his response to the rising cost of living. With an eye on the 2024 election, Opposition Leader Keir Starmer sought to highlight the division in the ruling party, citing criticisms of government policy made by Johnson-side lawmakers vying to replace him “He’s decided to come down from his gold-walled bunker one last time to tell us everything is fine. I’ll miss the delusion,” Starmer said. Johnson said the review was “completely satirical”. His farewell speech offered advice to his yet-to-be-named successor: Stay close to the United States, support Ukraine, cut taxes and deregulate, don’t let the Treasury Department curtail ambitious projects and pay attention to the electorate. “Remember, above all, it’s not Twitter that counts, it’s the people who sent us here,” he said. Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register Reporting by William James and Alistair Smout, additional reporting by Muvija M, editing by Nick Macfie Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
