Bullish Johnson takes a swipe at his detractors
PM warns next Tory leader not to row back on Brexit and tells Commons he is proud of his time in office
‘I personally think that our party is making the same mistake the Labour Party made when they knifed Tony Blair’
BORIS JOHNSON insisted his government had been the most “dynamic” of modern times as he delivered a strident defence of his record in the House of Commons.
In one of his final appearances before MPS as Prime Minister, he said he was “proud” of getting the “big calls” right – on the EU, Ukraine and the pandemic.
He warned his successor not to row back on Brexit, saying he was confident the Conservative Party would resist pressure from Labour and the “deep state” to keep the UK aligned to EU laws. And he claimed that, whoever won the leadership ballot, the Tories would send Labour “into orbit” at the next election.
Mr Johnson made his comments yesterday afternoon as he moved a motion of confidence in his Government – which it later won convincingly by 349 votes to 238.
During the session, Mr Johnson received the vocal support of loyal backbenchers who asked “what have we done” by deciding to get rid of such an electorally successful premier.
Opening the debate, the Prime Minister said he would demonstrate that he had led “one of the most dynamic governments of modern times”. He told MPS: “We took back control of our money. We took back control of our borders. And we installed a points-based system for immigration. We took back control of our laws. “We, on this side of the House, took back the sovereign right of the British people to be able to determine their own laws and their own future in Parliament. “After that, I would say to colleagues on this side of the House: your place in history is secure.”
His government had “protected the NHS and saved thousands of lives”, he added. “We vaccinated so fast that we came out of the pandemic quicker than any other European country,” he said. “When I look at that achievement, I have confidence in this government.”
Intervening, Michael Fabricant, the Conservative MP, told him: “I personally think that our party is making the same mistake that the Labour Party made when they knifed Tony Blair.”
Mr Johnson replied: “If it is true that I’m more popular on the streets of Kyiv right now than I am in Kensington... that is because of the foresight and boldness of this government in becoming the first European country to send them weapons, a decision that was made possible by the biggest investment in defence since the Cold War.
“The achievements of this government, over the last three years, have been very remarkable. I’m proud of what we have done and I’m proud of the way that I’ve been able to offer leadership in difficult times.”
Warning his party to stick to its promises on Brexit, Mr Johnson said: “Some people will say as I leave office that this is the end of Brexit, that the Leader of the Opposition and the deep state will prevail to haul us back into realignment with the EU as a prelude to our eventual return, and we on this side of the house will prove them wrong.”
In a nod to his flight in a Typhoon jet last week, he said: “After three dynamic and exhilarating years in the cockpit, we will find a new leader and we will coalesce in loyalty around him or her. And the vast twin Rolls-royce engines of our Tory message, our conservative values, will roar on – strong public services on the left, and a dynamic free market enterprise economy on the right, each boosting the other and developing trillions of pounds of thrust.
“The reason we keep winning is we’re the only party that understands the need for both.
“Whatever happens in this contest, we will continue to fight for the lowest possible taxes and the lightest possible regulation.”
Sir Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, replied: “The delusion is never-ending. What a relief for the country that they finally got round to sacking him.”
Sir Keir called Mr Johnson a “vengeful squatter mired in scandal” and said the entire Conservative Party had been “corrupted”.
Sir Edward Leigh, a former Conservative minister, said: “Speaking for myself, I wholly regret the departure of this Prime Minister.
“I remain completely loyal to him to the very end, as I remained loyal to [Margaret] Thatcher.
“And I think we will ask ourselves, ‘what have we done?’
“‘What have we done to a man who gave us this 80-seat majority?’”