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The National (Scotland)
The National (Scotland)
National
Xander Richards

'Mewling infant': Boris Johnson mocked for statement hailing his own legacy

Boris Johnson is to step down as prime minister after a new Tory leader is elected. Photo: PA

BORIS Johnson has been compared to a “mewling infant” after he tabled a written Parliamentary statement which argues that people “were right to place their trust in me”.

The interim prime minister has broken convention to place the roughly 2600-word statement claiming the “benefits of our great Union have never been more evident” onto the official record.

Ordinarily, such written statements are issued to accompany reports from government agencies or findings of inquiries, provide detailed statistics, outline procurement issues, or deal with procedure and policy initiatives.

The outgoing Tory leader wrote that he tabled Thursday’s statement to put “on record why the millions of people who voted Conservative in 2019, many for the first time, were right to place their trust in me and in this Conservative government”.

Johnson claims that across “five fronts – Brexit, Covid, public services, the economy, and the world stage – this government has delivered”.

He claims to have “got Brexit done”, despite a call put out in the Express last week for his successor to “finish the Brexit job” and lingering problems with the Northern Ireland protocol.

Johnson also claimed to have given the UK “control over our own borders” despite a report published on Thursday from the chief inspector of borders and immigration saying the volume of people crossing the Channel in small boats was “unprecedented”.

Concluding, the outgoing Tory leader wrote: “In everything this Government has done, we have striven to deliver for the whole of our United Kingdom – for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

“From the vaccination programme, where we were able to ensure everyone across our islands could benefit from swift access to jabs, to the furlough scheme, which relied on the financial firepower of the UK Treasury, to our Levelling Up Fund, supporting town centre and high street regeneration, local transport projects, and cultural and heritage assets across the UK, the benefits of our great Union have never been more evident.

“I am proud of our record in office since 2019. I remain determined that we continue to deliver in our final weeks. And I know that the Conservative government that follows after us will do what its predecessors have always done and meet the challenges of the day by serving the British people.”

Responding to Johnson’s statement, Labour MP Chris Bryant compared the outgoing prime minister to an “infant, mewling and puking”.

Kirsten Oswald MP, the SNP’s deputy leader at Westminster, said the reality of Johnson’s legacy would be “of law-breaking, cronyism and scandals”.

Oswald said: “Boris Johnson’s corrupt government has been a disaster for Scotland – imposing an extreme Brexit which has cost the economy billions, Tory austerity, callous policies, and sidelining the devolved governments at every opportunity.

“The reality is that Boris Johnson’s legacy will be one of law-breaking, cronyism and scandals. And, whoever succeeds in replacing him, Scotland will lose.

"The only way to keep Scotland safe from Westminster control and Tory governments we don't vote for is to become an independent country, with the full powers needed to build a fairer and more prosperous country."

The race to replace Johnson as prime minister is down to the final two contenders after Penny Mordaunt was knocked out on Wednesday.

Former chancellor Rishi Sunak is up against Foreign Secretary Liz Truss in a poll of Tory Party members for the keys to No 10.

The voting will go on over the summer, with the result to be announced on September 5.

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