Outgoing Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the UK would "never, ever" break up in his farewell speech in Downing Street. Mr Johnson was speaking to the nation before travelling to Balmoral today to offer his formal resignation to the Queen. He will be followed shortly by Liz Truss, the new PM, who will ask the Queen to form a government.
In his final address as Prime Minister, Johnson was typically showman-like. He began his speech by saying: "Well, this is it folks - thank you everybody for coming out so early this morning.
"In only a couple of hours... the baton will be handed over in what has unexpectedly turned out to be a relay race - they changed the rules halfway through but never mind that now. Through that lacquered black door, a new Prime Minister will shortly go to meet a fantastic group of public servants."
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He used the speech to do what he has done so often as Prime Minister - boast about his achievements. He brought up his administration's record of delivering Brexit, delivering the vaccine rollout and getting the economy moving post-Covid "despite all the opposition, all the naysayers."
He also couldn't resist falling back on one of his most reliable topics in the form of Ukraine. He boasted about the UK's supply of weapons "that may very well have changed the course of the biggest European war in 80 years," and said: "We will continue to have the economic strength to give people the cash they need to get through this energy crisis which has been caused by Putin's vicious war... If Putin thinks he can succeed by blackmailing or bullying the British people, then he is utterly deluded."
After swooping in for a second and third round of boasts - referencing a drop in neighbourhood crime, the building of new hospitals and the training of new police, the Lifetime Skills Guarantee and giving a shout-out to the "vital symmetry between government action and free-market capitalist private sector enterprise," - he indicated he'd be tacking a backseat to support Liz Truss.
He said: "It's time for politics to be over. It's time for us to get behind Liz Truss and her team and her programme, and deliver for the people of this country."
There was no mention of partygate, Chris Pincher, Owen Paterson, or gold wallpaper. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland didn't get a mention by name - but were referenced in a clear dig at nationalists.
Johnson said: "We are one whole and united United Kingdom whose diplomats, security services and armed forces are so globally admired. And by the way as I leave, I believe our union is so strong that those who want to break it up, they keep trying, will never, ever succeed."
Swooping in for a final round of boasts, he got the "taking back control" soundbite in and said he had "discharged the promises" he made to the Conservative Party when he was elected as leader.
He said: "I am now like one of those booster rockets that has fulfilled its function. I will now be gently re-entering the atmosphere and splashing down invisibly in some remote corner of the Pacific.
The tone of Johnson's speech, and of his premiership, was summed up by one final reference to semi-obscure Roman history: "Like Cincinnatus, I will be returning to my plough."
