Amid various scandals and controversies, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced this month that he would resign as Conservative Party leader and therefore step down as leader of the government. Under the UK's parliamentary system, his successor will be selected by the party, then become prime minister – likely until the next general election or beyond.
In his final session of "Prime Minister's Questions" in the House of Commons yesterday, Johnson offered some parting words and advice:
"I want to use last few seconds to give some words of advice to my successor.
— Howard Mortman (@HowardMortman) July 20, 2022
Number One: Stay close to the Americans. Stick up for the Ukrainians. Stick up for freedom and democracy...
Remember above all: It's not Twitter that counts...
Hasta la vista, baby!"
- Boris Johnson pic.twitter.com/jo6DoX6WEJ
It's not surprising that he leaned into the finalization and implementation of Brexit, a crucial achievement, his steadfast support for Ukraine, and his massive 2019 election win as defining legacies of his term at the helm. I'd bet that some British conservatives wished he'd done more on the conservative governance front, and perhaps that critique will play into the results of the leadership contest that's currently underway. His admonition about Twitter governance feels particularly relevant across the ocean, where the Biden administration and Democrats have seemed bullied by, and beholden to, their tribe's angry social media bubble. Boris' sage counsel for politicians is to ignore much of that noise and remember who elected them and why. Meanwhile, the race to replace Johnson (parliament is going into recess until the fall) has been whittled down to two candidates:
??Results from 5th (and final parliamentary)ballot of Conservative party leadership race????
— Alicia Smith (@Alicia_Smith19) July 20, 2022
Sunak: 137 ?
Truss: 113?
Mordaunt: 105
Candidates advancing to membership round marked with ?
Party membership will vote over course of next month, with winner announced Sept. 5
Foreign Secretary Liz Truss would be the country's third female PM (all Tories), while former Finance Minister Rishi Sunak would be Britain's first Prime Minister of color. My understanding is that Truss may be slightly favored heading into the head-to-head. She is considered the more conservative choice, while Sunak is a more polished communicator. The winner will be revealed in early September. And Boris' final go 'round at the despatch box presents a wonderful excuse to flashback to Margaret Thatcher's swan song in 1990, after 11 years as Prime Minister. In it, she put on a clinic in dismantling the left's misplaced obsession with economic inequality. "And what a policy!"
"I'm enjoying this!"
