Boris Johnson

Boris Johnson has departed No 10 vowing the government will bail out struggling families from rising energy bills in his final speech, as well as sending a ...

But in a reference to the Roman statesman Cincinnatus, he said he was “returning to my plough” – although Johnson was likely to know the remark would raise eyebrows. “If Dilyn and Larry can put behind them their occasional difficulties, then so can the Conservative party,” he said. He said he would be offering the new government nothing but “the most fervent support”. Johnson said it was a “tough time for the economy, a tough time for families up and down the country. Johnson said he would remain loyal and supportive to Truss after his departure. Truss will be received by the Queen after Johnson’s visit – about half an hour later – and officially asked to form a government, the point at which she becomes prime minister.

Comparing himself to a booster rocket that had fulfilled its mission, Boris Johnson said farewell to his Downing Street residence and office on Tuesday and ...

"He is going to be watching all this and if something happens in the future, as you said, if the ball comes loose in the scrum, then anything could happen. The jury is out, with one source saying it was unlikely. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com

Boris Johnson's reference to an ancient Roman statesman in his resignation speech has fuelled a fervent online debate, with some suggesting it could imply a ...

Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus was a Roman statesman who gave up his power for the good of the Roman Republic. But in one version of the story, he came back.

While historians largely [believe this is the stuff of legends](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Lucius-Quinctius-Cincinnatus), some political observers interpreted Johnson’s reference to Cincinnatus in his farewell speech as a sign that he would one day be back. [Cincinnati in Ohio](https://eu.cincinnati.com/story/news/2017/10/11/our-history-who-cincinnatus-inspiration-citys-name/752548001/) is — indirectly — named after Cincinnatus. In 2009, when he was mayor of London, Johnson said in an interview that he could not “foresee the circumstances” under which he would be called on to become prime minister. “This is not the speech of a departing prime minister who necessarily thinks he’s going away forever. [gave up power after just 15 days](https://eu.cincinnati.com/story/news/2017/10/11/our-history-who-cincinnatus-inspiration-citys-name/752548001/) and returned to his farm. “He is a practical man with an honest, backbreaking job outside politics who just gets on with the task in hand with minimum fuss.” He was an absolute elitist Roman patrician — in our terms, he was dead right-wing.” In 1790, the governor of the region that includes modern-day Ohio named the city after the [Society of the Cincinnati](https://www.societyofthecincinnati.org/society-of-the-cincinnati-name/), formed by officers from the Continental Army to commemorate the war for American independence. (He [became prime minister](https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/boris-johnson-expected-to-win-british-prime-minister-vote/2019/07/23/0e63fc8e-ac93-11e9-9411-a608f9d0c2d3_story.html?itid=lk_inline_manual_16) 10 years later.) But, he said at the time, “if, like Cincinnatus, I were to be called from my plow, then obviously it would be wrong of me not to help out.” — a rare position with emergency powers — and led an effort to save Roman soldiers trapped by the forces of The legend goes that he stopped plowing his field, put on a toga and returned to the city. [George Washington was compared to Cincinnatus](https://www.mountvernon.org/library/digitalhistory/digital-encyclopedia/article/cincinnatus/) because he also answered the call to serve, and defeated the British, before voluntarily giving up power after two terms as president.