Sparks flew at today’s particularly-animated Prime Minister’s Questions – Boris Johnson’s final opportunity to answer questions from MPs before he is replaced by either Rishi Sunak, Penny Mordaunt, or Liz Truss.
With questions ranging from the Good Friday Agreement to disposable barbeques, figures from both sides of the aisle hurled accusations and traded insults as Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle attempted to maintain some degree of civility in the House of Commons.
Questions began with Labour MP Kim Leadbeater, sister of Labour MP Jo Cox who was murdered in 2016 by a far-right white supremacist. Leadbeater asked a question regarding standards in public life but was almost drowned out by jeering from the Conservative benches, drawing widespread criticism of the conduct of Tory MPs.
Johnson v Starmer: ‘Human bollard’
With the PMQs well and truly underway, one of Sir Keir Starmer’s first barbs was aimed at the candidates for Conservative leadership, suggesting that Sunak and Truss had pulled out of the third scheduled TV debate as they’d realised it was ‘a disaster that the public were hearing from them.’ Starmer went on to ask Johnson if he agreed with former Chancellor Rishi Sunak that his fellow candidates’ tax proposals are ‘fantasy economics.’
Johnson retorts that Labour ‘knows all about fantasy economics’ and claims that the UK currently has 0.5% economic growth and more people employed ‘than at any time in the history of this country.’
Starmer, however, claimed that ‘every spending pledge Labour has made is costed’ and repeated his assertion that ‘Tory leadership contenders have made over £300bn in unfunded commitments between them.’ He also pointed out that inflation is on the rise once again, quoting leadership candidate Penny Mordaunt who has stated that the current state of affairs ‘isn’t working.’
Starmer proceeded to ask Johnson if Mordaunt knows who’s in charge of the country – the Prime Minister claims that the government ‘is investing £600m in technology and skills’ and that Labour opposed extra NHS funding.
The Prime Minister returned to his usual ‘humour’ at the dispatch box, proceeding to describe Starmer as a ‘human bollard.’
Ian Blackford: ‘The end of the union’
The SNP’s Westminster leader Ian Blackford – never one to give the Prime Minister an easy time at the despatch box – didn’t hold back in his blistering run-down of what he called Johnson’s ‘record-breaking efforts in office.’
These efforts, according to Blackford, consisted of ‘[Johnson’s] Tory Brexit slashing £31bn from the economy’, the ‘biggest fall in living standards since the 1970s’, the ‘worst economic growth forecast in the G20, outside Russia,’ and, finally, ‘the highest inflation in 40 years.’
Blackford also asserted that Johnson’s premiership had ‘paved the way’ for Scottish independence and ‘the end of the union.’ The PM responded by listing what he calls his own achievements – i.e. the COVID-19 vaccine rollout and low unemployment rates.
Johnson also made what some have called a low blow, by using Scottish drug addiction figures to attack SNP leadership ability.
Sir Ed Davey: ‘A new mandate’
Leader of the Liberal Democrats, Sir Ed Davey suggested that as many Tory leader candidates ‘all profess to bring a fresh start’, this kind of ‘clean break’ would require ‘a new mandate from the British people’ – namely a general election. Given recent Liberal Democrat successes in overturning Tory safe seats, it is no surprise that Davey would be keen to keep up this momentum.
Johnson replies by stating that in a general election, ‘the Liberal Democrats would likely get thrashed’ after rural voters ‘discover these massive green taxes.’
The soon-to-be-former Prime Minister also warned his party of a ‘crackpot coalition’ between the Liberal Democrats, the SNP, and Labour – something he says the Conservatives ‘must prevent.’
Advice: ‘It’s not Twitter that counts’
As the PMQs drew to an end, Johnson chose to give ‘some words of advice to his successor’ as applause rang out from his benches – despite 148 of those MPs recently voting to remove him from office and many having forced him out via resignation. Notably, former Prime Minister Theresa May can be seen not partaking in the clapping.
Johnson advised the next Prime Minister to: ‘Stay close to the Americans, stick up for the Ukrainians, and stick up for freedom and democracy everywhere.
‘Cut taxes and deregulate wherever you can to make [Britain] the greatest place to live and invest in.
‘Focus on the road ahead but always remember to check the rear view mirror – and remember, above all, it’s not Twitter that counts, it’s the people that sent us here.’
‘Mission largely accomplished […] Hasta la vista, baby’
In his closing remarks at his final PMQs, Boris Johnson reflected on his time in office:
‘We’ve transformed our democracy and restored our national independence. I’ve helped to get this country through the pandemic and helped save another country from barbarism.
‘And frankly that’s enough to be going on with. Mission largely accomplished for now.
‘I want to thank you Mr Speaker, I want to thank all the wonderful staff at the House of Commons, I want to thank all my friends and colleagues, I want to thank my right honourable friend opposite, Mr Speaker and, I want to thank everybody here and…
‘Hasta la vista, baby.’