PMQs live: Speaker Lindsay Hoyle pays tribute to Boris Johnson during his final PMQs ‘he will be remembered’

Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle has kicked off Boris Johnson’s final PMQs by paying tribute to the outgoing Prime Minister.

“We have been through many dark times in this house, including during the pandemic,” he said. “Johnson’s leadership during that period will be remembered.”

Sir Lindsay pleaded with MPs to keep today’s PMQs session respectful and focused on “issues and policies rather than personalities”.

Taking to the floor, Mr Johnson then started by making a joke about today marking his final PMQs.

“It probably, certainly, will be my last PMQs from this despatch box, or any despatch box,” he said.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer then stood up to pay tribute to Mr Johnson and said the relationship between PM and opposition is “never easy – and this one’s proved no exception”.

He then wished the PM and his family all the best for the future before spending the rest of the session launching his usual attacks on Mr Johnson and his Government – going hard on the division that has emerged throughout the Tory leadership contest.

But the PM didn’t hold back either, and likened Sir Keir to “one of those pointless plastic bollards” used during motorway roadworks.

More from Politics

The Labour leader’s first question saw him condemn Mr Johnson’s colleagues for pulling out of the Sky News leadership debate scheduled for last night.

The PM admitted that he is not following the contest “particularly closely”, but said he thinks the public will have had ample opportunity to view the talent on show.

“Like some household detergent”, they would wipe the floor with the opposition, he said.

Sir Keir then quizzed the PM over some of the proposals put forward by the leadership candidates.

He asked if he agreed with Rishi Sunak “that plans put forward by the other candidates are ‘nothing more than the fantasy economics of unfunded spending promises’?”

Hitting back, Mr Johnson said: “They know all about fantasy economics. They’ve already committed to £94bn of tax and spending… It’s thanks to the former Chancellor’s management of the economy, thanks to this Government’s management of the economic, we had growth in May of 0.5 per cent, we have more people in paid employment that at any time in the history of this country.

“I’m proud to be leaving office right now with unemployment at or near a 50-year low. When they left office it was at eight per cent. That’s the difference between them and us.”

The Labour leader said he was going to miss Mr Johnson’s “delusion” as he continued to point out the blue-on-blue attacks during the contest.

Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle speaks during Prime Minister’s Questions in the House of Commons (Photo: PA)

Dismissing the comments, Mr Johnson went on the defensive and claimed that nobody knows what Sir Keir’s policies are, before adding: “He’s one of those pointless plastic bollards you find around a rather deserted roadworks on the motorway.”

The PM ended the session of questions from Sir Keir by saying he wanted to thank “my friends and colleagues on these benches for everything they’ve done”.

SNP’s Westminster leader Ian Blackford took the opportunity to thank Mr Johnson “for driving support for independence to new heights” as he also hit out at the UK’s economic record.

He went on to accuse the Tories of showing disdain for Scotland and said the PM and his Government should have had their last day a long time ago.

Responding to Mr Blackford’s personal abuse, Mr Johnson said he is talking “a load of tosh”. He added that he hopes the MP reflects on the wisdom of breaking up the best country in the world.

The rest of the session was mainly taken up by opposition MPs keen to put the boot into Mr Johnson during his final hours at the despatch box.

The PM then offered advice to his successor, stating they should stick up for the Ukrainians, cut taxes wherever you can don’t listen to the Treasury, “stay close to the Americans” and remember that it’s not Twitter that counts – it’s the people who put us here.

He finished: “I want to thank you Mr Speaker, I want to thank all the wonderful staff of the House of Commons, I want to thank all my friends and colleagues, I want to thank my right honourable friend opposite Mr Speaker, I want to thank everybody here.

“And hasta la vista, baby.”

Tory MPs then took to their feet and gave Mr Johnson a standing ovation and loud round of applause as he left the House.

His predecessor Theresa May appeared reluctant to stand up, but eventually joined in – though she refused to clap and stood with her arms crossed.

Mr Johnson will remain in post until his replacement is announced on 5 September, but today marks his last appearance at the despatch box as Parliament breaks for summer recess tomorrow.

By the time MPs return for the new term, Conservative Party members will have chosen their new leader.

The final ballot of Tory MPs will take place shortly after PMQs has ended, with voting taking place between 1pm-3pm.

Frontrunner Rishi Sunak is expected to make the final round and Foreign Secretary Liz Truss looks set to overtake rival Penny Mordaunt to secure her place in the final head-to-head battle.

The result will be announced at 4pm.

The last two candidates will then spend the rest of the summer campaigning as they face a vote of the wider party membership.