TThe latest chapter turned out to be pretty much everything we’ve come to expect from a Prime Minister’s Questions session with Boris Johnson at the helm.
The Prime Minister was in typical bullish form and it was no surprise to see him receive a standing ovation from his Tory backbenchers as he rattled off his record – including ending Brexit, his support for Ukraine and faster vaccine rollout in the West.
Equally, his critics would point to the lack of any apology or acknowledgment. He adopted a tone from which one might assume he resigned by choice, rather than being forced from his ranks after a wave of scandals.
Being Mr Johnson, there were also voices aimed at Sir Keir Starmer for “bollards” – and a repeat of his nickname “Captain Hindsight” – and backhanded criticism of the Treasury, as well as Twitter types, in his closing remarks.
It’s hard to imagine Rishi Sunak, Liz Truss or Penny Mordaunt delivering equally compelling performances on Despatch Box every week. Many would argue that another speaker is not what Britain needs. But can the next prime minister capture the public’s imagination in the same way?
