Keir Starmer has used Boris Johnson’s latest exit in the prime minister’s questions to mock him for the way candidates to succeed him as a Conservative leader “have shattered all parts of his history in government” as they fight between them.
In a last generally unobtrusive set of Commons exchanges between the couple, Starmer once again focused on the remaining aspirants (Rishi Sunak, Liz Truss, and Penny Mordaunt) repeatedly citing his criticisms of Johnson’s record at number 10.
Conservative MPs will vote Wednesday later, two of which will go to a vote by party members.
“I think the message that comes out of this leadership contest is pretty clear: they’ve got us into this mess and have no idea how to get us out,” the Labor leader told Johnson, citing condemnatory tax quotes. , utilities and growth.
“They have left in the rubbish all parts of their history in government, from dental care and ambulance response times to the highest taxes in 70 years. What message does it send when candidates for prime minister do not find or something decent to say about him, each other, or his history in government?
Johnson responded with attacks on Starmer: “What does he say about him that no one can call a single policy after three years of Labor opposition other than imposing taxes?” – and with its already traditional reference to the deployment of vaccines against Covid and its agreement on Brexit.
The last PMQs before the summer break are likely to be the last time Johnson addresses the Commons as prime minister, and Lindsay Hoyle, the president, began the session with a request in a “respectful manner.” , which many MPs immediately ignored.
Starmer mocked Johnson about the often bitter and personal exchanges in the Conservative leadership contest, comparing him to EastEnders and pointing out the fact that Sunak and Truss had withdrawn from a third scheduled television debate, which led to was canceled.
“They organized the TV debates because they thought it would be a great opportunity for the audience to hear the candidates first hand,” Starmer said. “Then, disaster struck: the audience listened to the candidates first hand.”
Sign up for First Edition, our free daily newsletter, every weekday morning at 7:00 BST
In later questions, Starmer quoted Truss, the foreign secretary, as asking Sunak why, as chancellor, he had overseen such anemic economic growth, and Sunak’s mockery of the “fantasy economy of promises.” of unfunded spending ”of its rivals.
Johnson said he was “not following this thing particularly closely,” before insisting that his track record in economics was exemplary.
Starmer, citing the record 40-year inflation rate of 9.4%, responded: “He has decided to come down from his bunker with gold wallpaper for the last time to tell us that everything is fine. I will miss him. the deception “.
While some Conservative MPs tried to criticize him, Starmer said: “I appreciate that they may not want to hear what their future leader thinks of his history in government. But I think the country needs to know.”
Johnson, who ended up thanking his fellow Conservative MPs, said Starmer was just trying to block things. “Every time something needs to be done, they try to oppose it. It’s a big meaningless human bollard, ”he said.
The outgoing prime minister ended the noisy session with a brief speech reflecting on his own history and giving advice to his successor, which include “reducing taxes and deregulating whenever you can” and “focusing on the road ahead, but always remember to check the back “. mirror “.
He added: “I love the Treasury, but remember that if we had always listened to the Treasury we would not have built the M25 or the Canal Tunnel.”
Subsequently, Johnson’s press secretary said he had not been doing an excavation at Sunak but made a “broader point” about the major infrastructure projects.
Acclaiming his own record, including defending Ukraine and taking the UK out of the EU, Johnson said it was a “largely accomplished mission”, before signing with Arnold Schzwarzeneger’s slogan for the film Terminator 2 1991: “See you, baby.”
Conservative MPs, after expelling Johnson from office less than a fortnight ago, stood up to give him a standing ovation when he left the chamber. Opposition MPs did not join in the applause, nor did Johnson’s predecessor, Theresa May.