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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Politics
John Crace

Tory MPs indulge in a mawkish farewell for their poundshop Arnie

Boris Johnson speaking at prime minister's questions
The longer Boris Johnson spoke, the more he damned himself with faint praise. Photograph: Andy Bailey/UK Parliament/AFP/Getty Images

‘Mission largely accomplished … for now,” said Boris Johnson, winding up his final prime minister’s questions with a delusional requiem for his faded glamour. “Hasta la vista, baby.” Yet even in his going, The Pastiche Terminator left open the possibility of his return. He cannot survive without the spotlight. There is no substance to him. Just a carapace of molten neediness that feeds on attention. No matter of what kind. Better to be despised than to be forgotten or ignored. He’d torn the Tories apart once. He’d happily do it all over again.

Only Theresa May remained stony faced, refusing to clap. She alone has some integrity. The rest of the Tory benches stood as one to cheer The Convict out of the chamber. Andrea Jenkyns was in tears. Partly for her career – let’s face it, no one in their right mind is going to make her a junior minister for 10 minutes again – but mainly for a man who would betray her in a heartbeat.

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