Boris Johnson’s final speech hit all the wrong notes – no one likes a sore loser

‘Woe is me. Me, me, me,’ were Johnson’s parting words, as he refused to acknowledge that millions of citizens who had willed him to succeed felt let down by him, writes John Rentoul

He could not leave the great issue of the day alone, namely the grave injustice done to him (REUTERS)

Graceless to the end, Boris Johnson’s parting words in Downing Street were all about him. He started by complaining that he had been robbed. In a couple of hours, he said, “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”.

The nameless “they” of conspiracy theories through the ages. He meant the executive of the 1922 Committee, which was elected by Conservative backbench MPs. Of course, they didn’t change the rules, but it was clear that they would have done if he hadn’t announced his resignation. As so often, what Johnson said was untrue, yet there was some truth in it.

He had won a vote of confidence among his MPs on 6 June, but a month later it was evident that a majority of them wanted him out and that the rules would be changed to get him out.