Boris Johnson has been left humiliated after a floundering performance at PMQs. The Prime Minister was skewered repeatedly by a series of cutting putdowns by Labour leader Keir Starmer.
Mr Johnson entered the chamber for at noon to face questions to be met by muted boos and left to a chorus of 'Bye Boris', and in the intervening 50 minutes faced a torrid examination over his handling of the groping allegations against former deputy chief whip Chris Pincher which have led to a series of ministerial resignations and left his leadership tottering.
Though Mr Starmer has often been criticised for his lacklustre performances in the chamber the Labour leader didn't miss the clear open goals presented by the PM's woes. WalesOnline have gone through and listed the best of these barbs.
Read next: The full list of MPs who have resigned so far
"The first recorded case of the sinking ships fleeing the rat?"
The Labour leader hit a weak spot when he accused the Prime Minister of continually overlooking the "awful behaviour" of his friends and allies. Mr Starmer had begun by reading out the testimony of the young man who alleges he was groped by Chris Pincher to bring home the seriousness of the issue.
He said: "Awful behaviour, unacceptable in any walk of life, it's there for all to see but he ignores it. It was the same when his ally was on the take from the lobbyists. It was the same when his home secretary was bullying staff. It was the same when taxpayers' money was being abused and it was the same when he and his mates partied their way through lockdown.
"Anyone quitting now after defending all that hasn't got a shred of integrity. Isn't this the first recorded case of the sinking ships fleeing the rat?"
In a floundering, rambling, repetitive response, Boris Johnson chuntered: "He talks about integrity and he wanted to install the member for Islington North (Jeremy Corbyn) into Number 10 ... imagine what our country, what the world would be like now. He voted 48 times to overturn the will of the British people and take us back into the EU."
"Doesn't the country deserve better than a Z List cast of nodding dogs?"
After the PM had concluded his ramshackle response by accusing the Labour leader of wanting to reverse Brexit, Mr Starmer took a shot at the remaining members of the cabinet.
He said: "What a pathetic spectacle, the dying act of his career is to parrot that nonsense. As for those who are left, only in office because no-one else is prepared to debase themselves any longer. The charge of the lightweight brigade. Have some self-respect.
"For a week he's had them defending his decision to promote a sexual predator ... anyone with anything about them would be long gone from his frontbench. In the middle of a crisis, doesn't the country deserve better than a z list cast of nodding dogs?"
Boris Johnson replied: "It's exactly when times are tough and when the country faces pressures on the economy and pressures on their budgets, and when we have the biggest war in Europe for 80 years, that is exactly the moment that you'd expect a Government to continue with its work, not to walk away, and to get on with our job and to focus on the things that matter to the people of this country."
"The charge of the lightweight brigade"
Continuing his attacks of the embers of the cabinet propping up Boris Johnson Sir Keir Starmer said: "As for those who are left, only in office because no one else is prepared to debase themselves any longer. The charge of lightweight brigade."
Although he had sat for much of the session with his head in his hand, Welsh Secretary Simon Hart appeared to laugh at that joke at his own expense.
"I'm not asking for bluster and half-truth. We've all had enough of that. Yes or no?"
Opening Prime Minister's questions, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer read out the testimony of a man who accused a Conservative former minister of sexual assault. It was harrowing.
The statement read: "He grabbed my arse and then he slowley moved his hand down in front of my groin. I froze.”
After reading out the testimony of the man who accused Tamworth MP Christopher Pincher of assault, Sir Keir said: "I accept that is not easy listening, but it is a reminder to all those propping up this Prime Minister just how serious this situation is.
"He knew the accused minister had previously committed predatory behaviour but he promoted him to a position of power anyway. Why?"
After the PM responded Mr Starmer added: "None of that explains why he promoted him in the first place. And we have heard it all before. We know who he really is. Before he was found out, he has reported to have said he is handsy. That's the problem. Pincher by name, Pincher by nature.
"Now, has the Prime Minister ever said words to that effect? And I'm not asking for bluster and half-truth. We've all had enough of that. Yes or no?"
The Prime Minister replied: "I am not going to trivialise what happened. Yes, because the very serious complaints have been raised against the member for Tamworth, and they're now being investigated. It is true. It is true that the complaint was raised when he was in the Foreign Office and the matter was resolved. It is absolutely true.
"It's absolutely true that it was raised with me. I greatly regret that he continued in office, and I have said that. I have said that before. I have said that before, but it is now a subject of an independent investigation, and that is the right thing."
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