Boris Johnson took aim at John Bercow, with a vicious, thinly veiled swipe at the departing Speaker as he presided over his final PMQs .
The Speaker has been a constant thorn in the side of both Johnson and his predecessor Theresa May as they tried to pass Brexit legislation.
Tory Brexiteers have fumed as Bercow refused to allow them to get their way, standing up for the rights of the Commons and allowing MPs to use Parliamentary procedure as a check against the executive.
And Johnson used his opening words at Prime Minister's Questions to obliquely attack his nemesis - while paying him a series of literally backhanded compliments.
Referring to Bercow's famous love of tennis, he said the Speaker had become known for "offering your own opinions on the rallies, sometimes acerbic and sometimes kindly.
"But above all as a player in your own right, peppering every part of the chamber with your own thoughts and opinions, like some uncontrollable tennis ball machine.
"Delivering a series of literally unplayable, unreturnable volleys and smashes.
"And although we may disagree about some of the legislative innovations you have favoured, there is no doubt in my mind that you have been a great servant of this Parliament and of this House of Commons."
Jeremy Corbyn paid tribute to the speaker, but couldn't resist a jibe about the ever-extending length of PMQs under his chairmanship.
“I hope you’ll indulge me one moment, while I say a word about you?" he said. 'I’m sure you will”
Mr Corbyn said: "I want to thank you Mr Speaker for the way that you've used your speakership in the decade-long tenure you've had.
"You've done so much to reform this House of Commons and our democracy is the stronger for the way that you've done it."
He also joked: "You've served for ten years, you've given real power to backbenchers, vastly expanded the use of urgent questions which has been overwhelmingly popular with all Government ministers, and opened up the number of emergency debates, which is even more popular with even more Government ministers."
