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'The Boris Johnson story is now over' says Andrew Marr following former PM's bitter parliamentary resignation
10 June 2023, 12:31 | Updated: 10 June 2023, 12:57
Andrew Marr has labelled Boris Johnson a man of "extraordinary talents" following his resignation, adding the former PM's story "is now over".
Speaking with Matt Frei, Andrew Marr noted the former MP's decision was "about pride rather than a big political strategy" following his resignation on Friday, adding: "I don't think he is a man with a plan".
Marr also acknowledge Johnson to be an "extraordinarily effective communicator", despite likening Johnson to a man being kicked out of a watering hole.
"In many ways it seemed to me like someone who has been ordered out of the bar - his arms are flailing, the air is turning blue with his vituperative language.
"But he wants to maintain just a bit of a sense of dignity -'I'm going because I want to... you watch, I'll be back!'"
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Andrew Marr's analysis after Boris Johnson's resignation as an MP
Reflecting on the former PM's resignation as an MP following the findings of probe into 'partygate', the LBC presenter and political commentator added that Johnson had an "unsustainable political agenda".
"I think the jig is up," summarised Marr.
The comments follow Boris Johnson's resignation as Tory MP with "immediate effect" on Friday, releasing a lengthy statement posted online, just hours after ally and former Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries announced her own resignation.
Noting Johnson's "strange charisma", he spoke of Johnson's ability to engage with voters across the UK who otherwise felt sidelined despite the former PM's penchant for "recklessness".
Read more: Boris Johnson's statement announcing resignation as an MP in full
"I think he is someone who all his life has expected optimistically - and perhaps in a narcissistic way, that something useful will turn up and mostly, so far, it has done. But not this time," he said.
Speaking of the resignation, Marr highlighted that "it's not because he doesn't have enough supporters", as he noted Rishi Sunak's tactic of distancing himself from his predecessors.
Labelling the current Tory part a government "governed by Whatsapp", Marr added that "like the country at the time of the Brexit referendum, he didn't know what was coming next.
"Now we know."
Reflecting on what is to come where British politics is concerned, the presenter noted that the future is set to be far from plain sailing.
"We are in a big hole as a country, we have very, very hard choices to come and frankly if Keir Starmer takes over, he has a bit of a nightmare on his hands."
Adding: "This has gone beyond jokes a while ago."
