Figures from the worlds of music and entertainment have been sharing their reactions to Boris Johnson‘s resignation as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
Johnson quit today (July 7) following the recent resignations of Health Secretary Sajid Javid, Chancellor Rishi Sunak and over 50 other Conservative MPs.
It came after Johnson apologised for appointing Chris Pincher as deputy chief whip, despite knowing about a 2019 investigation into inappropriate behaviour made against Pincher. The MP resigned last week after being accused of groping two men at a private members club.
“In hindsight, it was the wrong thing to do,” Johnson said earlier this week (via Reuters). “I apologise to everyone who’s been badly affected by it.”
Johnson has since been under increasing pressure to step down from his role as PM.
Responding to the initial reports of his resignation, Labour leader Keir Starmer wrote: “It is good news for the country that Boris Johnson has resigned as Prime Minister. But it should have happened long ago.”
Starmer went on to say that Johnson was “always unfit for office”, highlighting the cases of “lies, scandal and fraud” that have occurred in government under his leadership.
He concluded: “We don’t need to change the Tory at the top – we need a proper change of government. We need a fresh start for Britain.”
The Conservatives have overseen 12 years of economic stagnation, declining public services and empty promises.
We don’t need to change the Tory at the top – we need a proper change of government.
We need a fresh start for Britain. pic.twitter.com/uMxRTomXX9
— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) July 7, 2022
Numerous major figures from music and TV have also taken to social media to offer their thoughts.
Yungblud said: “Bye Boris. Good riddance.” Elsewhere, Years & Years frontman Olly Alexander tweeted: “Very glad to see Boris go now I’d like all the Conservatives to go next.”
Black Mirror creator Charlie Brooker wrote: “Got a horrible inkling that any moment now Johnson’s going to reload a previous save and we’ll have to do the past six weeks again.” He’d previously joked that it’d “take an exorcist to shift this fucker”.
Charlatans frontman Tim Burgess, meanwhile, retweeted Johnson’s post from January 2020 that read: “This is going to be a fantastic year for Britain.” He captioned it: “Yep.”
In a pair of follow-up tweets, Burgess joked: “Ironically, I don’t think there’ll be much of a leaving party. Spontaneous ‘work events’ being planned.”
bye boris. good riddance.
— YUNGBLUD (@yungblud) July 7, 2022
very glad to see boris go now i’d like all the conservatives to go next ‼️
— olly alexander (@alexander_olly) July 7, 2022
Got a horrible inkling that any moment now Johnson’s going to reload a previous save and we’ll have to do the past six weeks again.
— Charlie Brooker (@charltonbrooker) July 7, 2022
— Tim Burgess (@Tim_Burgess) July 7, 2022
Spontaneous ‘work events’ being planned
— Tim Burgess (@Tim_Burgess) July 7, 2022
Self Esteem – aka Rebecca Lucy Taylor – said: “Celebrate, sure, but don’t underestimate the likelihood that we’ll be going from one evil fuck to an even more evil fuck.”
Trainspotting writer Irvine Welsh posted: “It’s sad that people will remember Johnson as the clown who clung onto power rather than the visionary who got a particularly shit Brexit done, lied to queen and country, killed an excess of 100,000 people through shit covid policy, lied during lockdown, was abusive about blacks, Muslims, gays, women, working class men, led a pandemic inspired wealth grab for taxpayers by Tory donors while partying through lockdown in defiance of his own rules, hid in a fridge and shat it to appear on TV debates.
“But that’s the way it goes. He will leave huge idiot shoes for the next clown to step into. Fortunately the media will herald whoever the utterly useless wanker is as some sort of supremely gifted genius.”
Celebrate, sure, but don’t underestimate the likelihood that we’ll be going from one evil fuck to an even more evil fuck.
— Rebecca Lucy Taylor (@SELFESTEEM___) July 7, 2022
…blacks, Muslims, gays, women, working class men, led a pandemic inspired wealth grab for taxpayers by Tory donors while partying through lockdown in defiance of his own rules, hid in a fridge and shat it to appear on TV debates…
— Irvine Welsh (@IrvineWelsh) July 7, 2022
…but that’s the way it goes. He will leave huge idiot shoes for the next clown to step into. Fortunately the media will herald whoever the utterly useless wanker is as some sort of supremely gifted genius.
— Irvine Welsh (@IrvineWelsh) July 7, 2022
Comedian and former Late Night Mash presenter Nish Kumar wrote: “Yes him going doesn’t solve the institutional rot that brought him to this position. And yes, the real solution is changing a system that elevates a person like [Johnson] to the position of ultimate power.
“But for one moment let’s focus on how incredibly funny it is that the cunt failed.”
Sleaford Mods criticised Johnson’s resignation speech as being “guff”, adding: “FUCK RIGHT OFF. FUCK RIGHT OFF YOU USELESS PIG CUNT.”
This Way Up writer and star Aisling Bea tweeted: “Not trying to burst the ‘bye-Boris-bubble’, but at the end of every season of Stranger Things, when we think the bad thing is gone & defeated, we learn he has been living inside the hearts & minds of scared children… or is secretly funded & supported by the Russian government.”
Yes him going doesn't solve the institutional rot that brought him to this position. And yes, the real solution is changing a system that elevates a person like to the position of ultimate power. But for one moment let's focus on how incredibly funny it is that the cunt failed.
— Nish Kumar (@MrNishKumar) July 7, 2022
— Nish Kumar (@MrNishKumar) July 7, 2022
WHATS THIS STATEMENT GUFF. FUCK RIGHT OFF. FUCK RIGHT OFF YOU USELESS PIG CUNT.
— Sleaford Mods (@sleafordmods) July 7, 2022
Not trying to burst the "bye-Boris-bubble", but at the end of every season of Stranger Things, when we think the bad thing is gone & defeated, we learn he has been living inside the hearts & minds of scared children… or is secretly funded & supported by the Russian government.
— Aisling Bea (@WeeMissBea) July 7, 2022
You can see more reactions below.
I too have an opinion on the ousting of our primeminister Boris Johnson, but I am saving it for my memoirs. Hold tight!
— Yard Act (@YardActBand) July 7, 2022
As ever, reluctant to comment on politics, but woke up to the news from back home… Total fucking shambles but extremely glad to see the back of one buffoon at least. Bye bye dickhead.
— Frank Turner (@frankturner) July 7, 2022
off you fuck boris
— easy life (@easylife) July 7, 2022
NoJo
— simone marie (@simonemarie4) July 7, 2022
I remember, at Glastonbury 2010, a man – clearly on acid – climbed up the scaffolding during Gorillaz, unzipped his trousers, and manipulated his penis in time to "Clint Eastwood." I imagine Johnson's resignation speech will be roughly similar.
— Caitlin Moran (@caitlinmoran) July 7, 2022
Congratulations to the many MPs and cabinet ministers who finally noticed after decades of evidence that the guy they had enthusiastically backed was a terrible self-serving country-denigrating tool. Either way at least we have flushed the stool.
— Shaun Keaveny 💙 (@shaunwkeaveny) July 7, 2022
In a way it would be inspirational if Liz Truss was to become Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Children could see how someone could ascend to the highest office in the country despite not being able to find their arse with both hands.
— Shaun Keaveny 💙 (@shaunwkeaveny) July 7, 2022
Speaking outside Number 10, Johnson said: “It is clearly now the will of the Parliamentary Conservative Party that there should be a new leader of that party and so a new Prime Minister.
“I’m immensely proud of the achievements of this government in getting Brexit done, to settling our relations with the continent… reclaiming the power for this country to make its own laws in Parliament.”
He continued: “To [the] new leader… I say I will give you as much support as I can. And to you, the British public. I know that there will be many people who are relieved and perhaps quite a few who will also be disappointed.
“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.”
Last month, Johnson won a no-confidence vote in his leadership of the Conservative Party. The results, however, revealed that 40 per cent of his MPs were against him (211 Tories voted in his favour, with 148 against).
The motion came after the publication of Sue Gray’s report on the COVID lockdown-breaking parties for which Johnson received a fixed penalty notice in April. He became the first sitting British Prime Minister to have been found to have broken the law.
There had been countless calls for Johnson to resign throughout the so-called Partygate scandal, which first hit the news in December 2021.
Boris Johnson led the Conservative Party to victory in the December 2019 General Election, securing 365 seats. He had become Prime Minister in July of that year following Theresa May’s resignation.
This is a developing story and will be updated…