Boris Johnson Ends Farewell Speech with Terminator Quote

Diana Glebova
·2 min read
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U.K. prime minister Boris Johnson on Wednesday signed off his farewell speech in his final parliamentary appearance with a Terminator quote, giving some advice to his successor.

Johnson advised the next prime minister to “stay close to the Americans, stick up for the Ukrainians, stick up for freedom and democracy everywhere, cut taxes and deregulate wherever you can to make this place the best place to live.”

“Remember above all that it’s not Twitter that counts, it’s the people that sent us here,” he added, before ending his speech with the Arnold Schwarzenegger quote, “Hasta la vista, baby!”

Johnson resigned as the leader of the conservative Tory party on July 7 amid a series of scandals and resignations from prominent members of his cabinet.

The revolt within his own party reached its peak after Deputy Chief Whip Chris Pincher resigned following accusations of groping two men. Johnson admitted hiring Pincher was a “mistake,” and that he knew about the allegations when promoting him in 2019.

Three members of Johnson’s cabinet resigned almost immediately after Johnson’s admission, calling for him to step down and claiming he lost public trust.

Johnson was also mired in scandal after holding illegal parties in his office during the COVID-19 pandemic while imposing a strict curfew on the rest of the country.

Johnson spoke about his accomplishments during his farewell speech, mentioning successfully pulling out the U.K. from the European Union.

“The last few years have been the greatest privilege of my life, and it’s true that I helped get he biggest Tory majority in 40 years, and a huge realignment in U.K. politics. We’ve transformed our democracy and restored our national independence,” Johnson said.

“I’ve helped get this country through a pandemic and helped save another country from barbarism,” he added, alluding to aiding Ukraine in the Russia-Ukraine war.

Over the past few weeks, Conservative members of parliament have been casting their ballots to determine who will replace Johnson. One candidate is eliminated after each round of voting, until two are left standing.

Three candidates are currently vying to make it to the top two spots on the ballot, including former Treasury chief Rishi Sunak, Trade Minister Penny Mordaunt and Foreign Secretary Liz Truss. The final elimination round is on Wednesday, and conservative lawmakers will determine the final candidates.

Once the pair is decided, Conservative Party members across the country will vote on the winner, who is expected to be announced September 5.

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