Boris Johnson has signed off in his last Commons appearance as prime minister by hurling insults at Keir Starmer, branding him a “pointless human bollard”.
Speaking from the famous despatch box for the final time, he also called the Labour leader “Captain Hindsight” and boasted his successor would “wipe the floor” with him “like some household detergent”.
Sir Keir exploited Tory divisions by highlighting how the leadership candidates had “trashed every part” of Mr Johnson’s record, including on tax and public services.
He said Liz Truss, the new favourite to take over at No 10, had hit out at former chancellor Rishi Sunak over his lack of a “plan for growth” – asking the prime minister if he agreed.
And he parroted the words of Penny Mordaunt, one of the three surviving candidates, who admitted that public services under the Conservatives are “in a desperate state”.
But, calling Sir Keir “Captain Hindsight” once again, Mr Johnson alleged: “Every time something needs to be done, they try to oppose it, he’s a great pointless human bollard, that’s what he is.”
Later, in an extraordinary intervention in the race, the outgoing prime minister urged his successor not to “listen to the Treasury” – in a clear attack on Mr Sunak, laying bare years of tension.
He said the next prime minister should “cut taxes and deregulate wherever you can’, in what is likely to be seen as an endorsement of Ms Truss, who has promised the biggest tax cuts.
Boasting it was “mission largely accomplished”, Mr Johnson also sought to claim some of the credit for Russia’s failure to conquer Ukraine earlier this year.
“I want to use the last few seconds to give some words of advice to my successor, whoever he or she may be,” the departing leader said.
“Number one: Stay close to the Americans, stick up for the Ukrainians, stick up for freedom and democracy everywhere. Cut taxes and deregulate wherever you can to make this the greatest place to live and invest, which it is.
“I love the Treasury but remember that if we’d always listened to the Treasury we wouldn’t have built the M25 or the Channel Tunnel.”
He claimed: “We’ve transformed our democracy and restored our national independence.
“I’ve helped to get this country through a pandemic and helped save another country from barbarism, and frankly that’s enough to be going on with. Mission largely accomplished, for now.”
The prime minister received a standing ovation from the Conservative benches, although – strikingly – his predecessor Theresa May did not join in with the clapping.
Mr Johnson also all-but confirmed he plans to hand out gongs to allies in a resignation honours list, telling MPs to “contain their excitement”.
