Boris Johnson: Outgoing PM’s most memorable quotes from ‘Elvis on Mars’ to ‘Them’s the breaks’

PM’s way with words helped him all the way to Downing Street but also often got him into trouble

A former journalist, Boris Johnson’s command of the English language has often enabled him to dazzle crowds, helping him to win his party’s leadership contest in 2019 and the general election that followed later that year.

But while the outgoing PM has frequently used rhetoric (critics might call it bluster) to his advantage, his words - and his ability to put his foot in his mouth - have landed him in trouble on plenty of occasions too.

As Mr Johnson bows out as PM, The Independent takes a look at some of his most memorable quotes during a political career spanning two decades.

Elvis on the Mars

A great place to start is Mr Johnson discussing his odds of becoming prime minister in 2004 while answering questions from The Independent readers. The then-shadow secretary said: “My chances of being PM are about as good as the chances of finding Elvis on Mars, or my being reincarnated as an olive.”

Fifteen years later, Mr Johnson became prime minister of the UK - but there are no signs of Elvis in space.

Pro cake and pro eating it

Perhaps one of Mr Johnson’s most famous quotes is a maxim which many observers would argue guided his approach to both life and politics.

“My policy on cake is pro having it and pro eating it,” he said while London mayor - a role he served in for two terms between 2008 and 2015.

The riff on the famous “you can’t have your cake and eat it proverb” apparently served Mr Johnson well for most of his political career, making it all the way to No 10 Downing Street.

But it also helped to play a part in his downfall, with some of the mutinous MPs who eventually brought him down angry about tax increases Mr Johnson previously promised he would never introduce.

Peppa Pig

The prime minister was left floundering when he lost his place in a high-profile speech to business leaders - and resorted to talking about the Peppa Pig World theme park.

Mr Johnson was rendered speechless for 20 seconds as he searched through his text, muttering “forgive me, forgive me”.

Addressing the CBI’s annual conference, he compared himself to Moses, made “vroom, vroom” noises, cracked risque jokes, stumbled over his words, fell silent for almost half a minute after losing his place and asked the executives to put their hands up if they had visited Peppa Pig World.

Chlorinated chicken

Boris Johnson is well known for making gaffes (PA Wire)

Before Keir Starmer was elected leader of the Labour Party, Mr Johnson went head-to-head multiple times with Jeremy Corbyn in the House of Commons at Prime Minister’s Questions.

At one clash, he labelled the ex-Labour leader a “chlorinated chicken” after the Islington North MP voiced his opposition to a trade deal.

“I know he’s worried about free trade deals with America but there’s only one chlorinated chicken that I can see in this House and he’s on that bench,” Mr Johnson said.

‘Probably not a good idea’

Britain’s ambassador to Myanmar had to stop Mr Johnson as he recited a Rudyard Kipling poem in the country’s most sacred temple.

The poem is written through the eyes of a retired British serviceman in what was then known as Burma, which Britain ruled between 1824 and 1948, and also references kissing a local girl.

Mr Johnson had also referred to a golden statue in the Shwedagon Padoga temple as a “very big guinea pig” shortly before launching into verse.

As he recited the poem, a video showed the British ambassador to the country, Andrew Patrick, growing visibly tense. When the then-foreign secretary reached the poem’s third line – “the wind is in the palm trees... the temple bells they say” – Mr Patrick decided to interject.

“You’re on-mic,” he said. “Probably not a good idea.”

Fat-shaming Ian Blackford

Mr Johnson had many a memorable moment at PMQs as this article will highlight, but always fiery were his exchanges with SNP Westminster leader, Ian Blackford. Mr Johnson claimed to “co-operate well” with the Scottish MP, but during an exchange in January 2022, many criticised the prime minister for crossing a line.

The SNP commons leader grilled Mr Johnson referencing a Partygate revelation that the prime minister shared a cake with staff on his birthday whilst the rest of the country was in lockdown.

“The impending national insurance tax hike hangs like a guillotine while they eat cake,” Mr Blackford said.

In response, Mr Johnson said through laughter: “Well, Mr Speaker, I don't know who's been eating more cake.”

Lover of John Lewis

Boris Johnson and Carrie Symonds moved into 10 Downing Street in 2019 (PA)

Mr Johnson has been on the receiving end of many accusations about his conduct during his time as prime minister. However, one claim he wasn’t going to allow to stick was an alleged dislike of British department store, John Lewis.

Mr Johnson and wife Carrie Symonds reportedly decided to redecorate their flat in 11 Downing Street after inheriting a “John Lewis furniture nightmare” from Theresa May, Ms Symonds was quoted saying.

When questioned about this in 2021, Mr Johnson said: “If there is one thing I object to in this whole farrago [we have no idea] of nonsense is that if anything, I love John Lewis.”

‘Chocolate taste explosion’

Mr Johnson left out no details when describing his favourite biscuit while answering the famous Mumsnet interview question. He was interviewed by the platform in 2012 as London mayor and said the chocolate digestive was his favourite biscuit for an array of reasons.

“The important point about a chocolate digestive is that it combines the temptation of the chocolate with the nourishment of the wholemeal biscuit pabulum stuff,” he said.

“Each biscuit delivers on that promise, time after time, until you get to the bottom of the packet.”

When asked the question again in 2022, he stuck to his choice from a decade earlier, but added: “It’s the chocolate taste explosion that lures you.”

‘Who’s Lorraine?’

During his first interview in five years with Good Morning Britain, Mr Johnson was quizzed by host Susanna Reid on the cost of living crisis, Partygate and whether he was honest.

Lorraine Kelly has been described as a ‘national treasure’ (PA Archive)

As Ms Reid prepared to hand over to ITV’s Lorraine Kelly who was waiting on standby, Mr Johnson’s response broke British hearts. He asked, “Who’s Lorraine?”

“I think, as was clear, the prime minister was not fully across the ITV daytime lineup this morning,” a spokesperson said in his defence. “But you’ll appreciate he has a number of issues to deal with on his desk.”

‘He’s Caracas’

In a 2019 exchange about Brexit with former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn at PMQs, Mr Johnson accused Mr Corbyn of favouring relationships with Russia and Iran over the UK’s French and American allies.

Using colourful language he said: “Jeremy Corbyn thinks our friends are in The Kremlin, and in Tehran, and in Caracas - and I think he's Caracas!”

‘Waving piccaninnies’

During his time as a Daily Telegraph columnist, Mr Johnson caused offence by using a racist term for Black children when describing the support the Queen receives in the Commonwealth.

He wrote in 2002: “It is said that the Queen has come to love the Commonwealth, partly because it supplies her with regular cheering crowds of flag-waving piccaninnies.”

Insulting niqab wearers as ‘letterboxes’

In another column for The Daily Telegraph – a weekly commitment that earned him £275,000 a year – Mr Johnson described the garments as oppressive, adding it was “absolutely ridiculous” that people should “choose to go around looking like letter boxes”.

He said some restrictions on wearing them were “sensible” but that he opposed a Denmark-style full ban in public places and claimed: “One day, I am sure, they will go.”

He wrote: “If a constituent came to my MP’s surgery with her face obscured, I should feel fully entitled… to ask her to remove it so that I could talk to her properly.

‘Captain Hindsight’

Prime Minister Boris Johnson also labelled Sir Keir Starmer a ‘pointless human bollard’ during PMQs (House of Commons/PA) (PA Wire)

Like Jeremy Corbyn, Sir Keir Starmer has faced heated exchanges with Mr Johnson, including some insulting quips.

One, in particular, was “captain hindsight” - a moniker Mr Johnson used to describe the Labour leader during disagreements about Covid policies.

Mr Johnson also played on a perception that Mr Starmer was boring by referring to him as “Captain Crasheroonie Snoozefest” in his penultimate PMQs. The prime minister repeated the joke three times in that session to chants from excited backbenchers.

Calling Mr Starmer “a lawyer not a leader” was another memorable quote the prime minister gave the former head of the Crown Prosecution Service.

‘Hasta la vista, baby’

Mr Johnson couldn’t close out his last PMQs without some memorable words to depart the dispatch box.

He declared “mission largely accomplished, for now” before signing off his final appearance by telling MPs: “Hasta la vista, baby,” in reference to The Terminator’s famous phrase.

The outgoing prime minister received a standing ovation from the Conservative benches after concluding his final remarks, although his predecessor Theresa May did not join in with the applause.

‘Them’s the breaks’

In his speech announcing his resignation to the UK following 57 resignations from his cabinet, Mr Johnson admitted he was sad to be giving up the “best job in the world”.

However, Mr Johnson also used a bizarre turn of phrase in his address, which left many viewers baffled.

“And I want you to know how sad I am to be giving up the best job in the world. But them’s the breaks.” The phrase “them’s the breaks” is used in pool or billiards and refers to balls being broken on the table by a player after being racked up in formation.