Britons continued to feast on the political drama around Boris Johnson after news broke that he is to resign as Prime Minister – with plenty of hilarious memes being posted on social media this morning.
Mr Johnson has had a tumultuous two days with 57 MPs and ministers resigning from their posts – finally forcing him out of his position as Prime Minister.
Health Secretary Sajid Javid and Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced their resignations on Tuesday night, with their departures triggering walkouts by more junior members of the Government.
Last night, Michael Gove was sacked by Johnson as Secretary of State for Housing after he called on the PM to resign.
This morning, Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis and Education Secretary Michelle Donelan resigned from their posts. MPs Damian Hinds, Guy Opperman, James Cartilidge, Helen Whateley and George Freeman also tendered their resignations.
Newly installed Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi released a statement on Thursday morning calling on the Prime Minister to go, just 36 hours after taking the role, telling Mr Johnson: ‘You must do the right thing and go now.’
A spokesman for Number 10 said: ‘The prime minister will make a statement to the country today.’
Now that Mr Johnson’s time in Number 10 is coming to an end, dozens of memes making light of the situation have been posted on Twitter.
Now that Mr Johnson’s time in Number 10 is coming to an end, dozens of memes making light of the situation were posted on Twitter
The hashtag #BorisGoneson has begun to gain traction on the social media platform, with one user describing the ‘new Tory slogan’ as ‘Going, going, gone’.
One showed Nadine Dorries and Boris Johnson in a cartoon cave with the subtitles, ‘This is where I come to cry,’ with the Tweet reading: ‘Boris and Nadine running the UK alone’.
One made reference to the Prime Minister’s wife Carrie Johnson and the expensive and controversial refurbishment of the Downing Street flat by designer Lulu Lytle.
The tweet read: ‘Carrie with the iron frantically steaming off the gold wallpaper and stuffing it into an overnight bag.’
Another made reference to the legendary ‘What a sad little life Jane,’ Come Dine With Me meme, which shows a diner looking intently at his fellow competitors to mirror Boris looking at his Cabinet after the few days
Similarly, another one shows a movie scene with a couple arguing. ‘Boris’ tells ‘Carrie’, ‘I know you have just decorated, but we have to go. Now!’, and ‘Carrie’ responds: ‘I’m not leaving behind the 20th Century Italian red-painted, parcel gilt, steel and giltwood four poster bed. Hang on…’
One said, ‘Boris is resigning, this calls for toast,’ with a picture of a Lurpak butter tub.
Another mentioned horror film Jaws by depicting the film’s upbeat mayor of Amity Island outside Downing Street.
Some people on Twitter have looked to the other candidates that could replace Boris later this year
Referencing the moment where the mayor promised the beaches were safe before the killer shark struck again, the tweet read: ‘The Cabinet is open and everyone is having a wonderful time’.
Some people on Twitter have looked to the other candidates that could replace Boris later this year.
Before handing in his resignation a staggering 57 MPs and ministers handed in their own letters notifying the PM of their intent to leave, many people wondered how Boris would manage to fill all the gaps in his Cabinet and Tory party.
One user wrote ‘Boris trying to hand out Ministerial posts’, with the picture of a man chucking notes all over the place.
Another made reference to the legendary ‘What a sad little life Jane,’ Come Dine With Me meme, which shows a diner looking intently at his fellow competitors to mirror Boris looking at his Cabinet after the few days.
The hashtag #BorisGoneson has begun to gain traction on the social media platform, with one user describing the ‘new Tory slogan’ as ‘Going, going, gone’, while others pondered on wife Carrie’s decisions following the resignation announcement
A third jokingly quoted Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky, depicting him as saying: ‘The thing is Boris, you have visited quite a few times already’.
It was making reference to previous visits to Kyiv by Mr Johnson which have coincided with domestic criticism of the PM, sparking claims that the trips were attempts to distract from the bad press.
Another meme riffed on Mr Johnson’s famous Brexit slogan, saying ‘Get Exit Done’ above a photo of the PM walking out of Number 10.
A fifth showed an illustration of the sinking Titanic and said: ‘Live scenes from Downing St’.
Britons today saw the funny side of the crisis engulfing Boris Johnson’s Government by taking to social media to poke fun at the Prime Minister’s situation
Another jokingly quoted Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky, depicting him as saying: ‘The thing is Boris, you have visited quite a few times already’
A third meme riffed on Mr Johnson’s famous Brexit slogan, saying ‘Get Exit Done’ above a photo of the PM walking out of Number 10
Another showed an illustration of the sinking Titanic and said: ‘Live scenes from Downing St’
Again on the subject of the Downing Street flat refurbishment, another tweet showed a famous photograph of the frantic US evacuation of Saigon during the Vietnam war and said: ‘Scenes from Number 10 as Carrie Johnson flees with the wallpaper.’
A third on the subject said the PM could use the resignation letters he has received to ‘re-wallpaper’ the Downing Street flat.
Mr Javid announced his resignation in an incendiary letter to the PM last night, with Mr Sunak following just minutes later with a similar broadside.
The PM appointed his chief of staff Steve Barclay to replace Mr Javid as Health Secretary, whilst Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi was promoted to become Chancellor.
It came after former top civil servant Lord McDonald of Salford released a letter which gave critics of the PM further ammunition over his appointment of alleged groper Chris Pincher to the whips’ office.
Mr Sunak warned in his resignation letter that ‘we cannot continue like this’ and said he was going despite accepting that his senior job might be the last position he holds in Government.
Making light of the crisis, another meme on Twitter made reference to the Prime Minister’s wife Carrie Johnson and the expensive and controversial refurbishment of the Downing Street flat by designer Lulu Lytle
On the same theme, another tweet showed a famous photograph of the frantic US evacuation of Saigon during the Vietnam war and said: ‘Scenes from Number 10 as Carrie Johnson flees with the wallpaper
Comedian Rory Bremner said: Don’t panic, everyone. Nadine Dorries, Priti Patel, Jacob Rees Mogg and Dominic Raab staying. We’ve still got the A team in charge’
This Tweeter joked that Mr Johnson and his wife could ‘re-wallpaper’ the Downing Street flat ‘with resignation letters’
‘The public rightly expect Government to be conducted properly, competently and seriously,’ he wrote.
Today, Mr Zahawi was hit with news of another resignation while he was live on air.
Nadhim Zahawi was in the middle of an interview on the BBC’s flagship Today programme when he was informed that Children’s minister Will Quince had joined the exodus, slamming No10’s ‘inaccurate’ claims about the Chris Pincher allegations.
Asked whether it meant Mr Johnson is ‘over’, a sombre-looking Mr Zahawi responded: ‘I am deeply sorry to see colleagues leave government.’
Schools minister Robin Walker has now joined his former colleague in walking out, saying the government was being ‘overshadowed by mistakes and questions about integrity’.
This meme referenced popular show Would I Lie to You, saying ‘I once took an 80 seat majority and p****d it up the wall in less than 3 years’
This meme, referencing Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries, who is a keen supporter of Mr Johnson, showed a clip from pop star Dido’s song White Flag, where she sings ‘I will not go down with this ship’
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