Johnson compares himself to Roman dictator in speech hinting at comeback

Boris Johnson has given his final address as prime minister in front of 10 Downing Street.

The 'baton will be handed over', said Johnson, adding that his tenure in office had 'unexpectedly turned out to be a relay race – they changed the rules halfway through'. Johnson likened himself to Cincinnatus, a figure who 'returned to his plough', apparently suggesting he would return quietly to the backbenches.

Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus is said to have left Rome for a bucolic existence on his farm, but was later recalled to Rome and became a dictator. Johnson is due to meet the Queen at Balmoral in Scotland before he is succeeded as prime minister by Liz Truss.



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[The_Opinion_of_Matt]

"... they changed the rules halfway through..." This is Boris putting his downfall on others and not being able to accept that his downfall way caused by his own actions that he choose to take. Essentially he is is saying, "It is other people's fault, not mine".

[camillac.s.]

Praying for British people 🙏🏻for a better future .

[alanbrown]

I watched three minutes of the full version before giving up in disgust. It was a lesson in re-writing history on one's favour. Quite puke-inducing really.

[johngodson]

A Walter Mitty to the end, completely delusional.

[timonsolus]

Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus was a hard working farmer. Unlike Boris Johnson, who is the laziest Prime Minister in history. Cincinnatus would have despised Johnson.

[ChockHolocaust]

I have to say I'm impressed with the Tory party's ability to find ever-more incompetent and even more morally reprehensible leaders, time and time again. I thought they'd set the fuckwittery bar impossibly high in selecting Boris Johnson, but not to be outdone, they've pulled it off yet again in picking Liz Truss. It's amazing.

[hRtkuojTtmk]

Buffoonery has no limits and requires no rest.

[pauljones]

Boris was an expensive and deranged waste of space

[debfletcher]

More like Nero who fiddled (and partied) while his country burned 🔥🔥🔥

[v_cpt-phasma_v]

Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus was not a dictator in modern terms, dictatorial powers were given on MANY occasions in rome, he was given the power, saved the empire then gave up his power to return to his farm, this does not at all hint at a comeback.

[steveturner]

I'd like to thank him for nothing and wave him goodbye with two fingers.

[oldgreybeard]

Ever had a bad smelling drain? It's always a relief when it gets cleaned out. However there is always the danger of it getting even worse if the cleaning job is not thorough.

[thequeenofspades]

Calls himself Cincinnatus when he's a PoundLand Caligula

[darrentatemusic]

Well at least he apologised for his endless lies and…. Oh wait

[imitchell]

More like tinnitus, pain to our ears everytime.

[lat]

He wanted to be a politician as apparently "they don't put up statues to journalists". Or to abject failures Boris & Carrie. (Not even a monument to lying and corruption.)

[ascgazz]

He just doesn’t have a graceful fibre in his superfluous body.

[dieselkj]

Your Covid policies are why we are in the position we are in now, let’s hope we never see this authoritarian man have any power ever again.

[caloricphlogistonandthelum]

Here's a quote, about Commodus, and strangely apt for Emperor Pinocchio.
Dio Cassius,
his accession marked the descent "from a kingdom of gold to one of iron and rust".

[jackjhmc]

I naively thought politicians who had multiple affairs in the past should be disqualified for the leader of the country, on the grounds of habitual dishonesty and most serious betrayal to their spouses