Boris Johnson departed the British prime minister’s residence of 10 Downing Street for the final time, heading to Scotland to meet with Queen Elizabeth II and officially resign on Tuesday.
What he’s saying: “It’s time for politics to be over, folks. It’s time for us all to get behind Liz Truss and her team and deliver for the people of this country,” the outgoing prime minister said of the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party.
- In his final speech as prime minister, Johnson blamed Russian President Vladimir Putin and the war on Ukraine for the United Kingdom’s surging energy costs but said Truss and her government “will do everything they can to get through this crisis.”
The intrigue: “On the subject of bouncing around in future careers, let me say that I am now like one of those booster rockets that has fulfilled its function,” Johnson said before getting in his car.
- “And I will now be gently reentering the atmosphere and splashing down invisibly in some remote and obscure corner of the Pacific.”
The big picture: Johnson announced in July he would step down after dozens of ministers resigned from his government after a series of scandals, including holding Downing Street parties in breach of U.K. pandemic lockdown rules.
Between the lines: Johnson guided his party to a landslide win in 2019 after pledging to “get Brexit done.”
- However, several matters remain unresolved following Britain’s Jan. 1, 2021, exit from the European Union — notably the issue of Northern Ireland and the Irish border.
- EU officials last week expressed concern over U.K. plans to change the original agreement on Northern Ireland.
Flashback: How it all fell apart for Boris Johnson
Editor’s note: This article has been updated with new details throughout.
