Many believe Boris Johnson will one day return to 10 Downing Street - but no other post-war Prime Minister has succeeded in climbing back to the top of the “greasy pole” after quitting. In his leaving speech outside Number 10, Mr Johnson referred to the Roman statesman and military leader Lucious Quinctius Cincinnatus, saying that “like Cincinnatus, I am returning to my plough”.
But while Cincinnatus did indeed return to his plough - moving to a small farm after resigning as Consul of Rome in 460BC - he later returned to rule Rome as dictator. That has led some political commentators and supporters to believe Mr Johnson was signalling his intention to one day return to the highest office in the UK.
Of 16 Prime Ministers to take office since the end of the Second World War, 10 have resigned mid-term between elections, including Mr Johnson and both his Tory party predecessors, Theresa May and David Cameron. Not one has so far succeeded in returning to power. But if Mr Johnson is looking for inspiration from the past he doesn’t need to look back quite as far as the days of Cincinnatus.
