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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Kieren Williams

Boris Johnson article telling Gordon Brown to 'get out the No10 bathroom' resurfaces

An old Boris Johnson article demanding Gordon Brown leave the No.10 bathroom has resurfaced and eerily reflects the Prime Minister's current predicament.

Back in May 2010, the then London Mayor ran a column in the Telegraph where he lambasted Labour PM Gordon Brown for "holing himself" inside Downing Street.

Mr Johnson compared him to an “illegal settler in the Sinai desert” that had “lashed himself to a radiator”.

He proceeded to blast the "zombie Labour government", adding: "Isn't there someone - the Queen's Private Secretary, the nice policeman on the door of No.10 - whose job it is to tell him that the game is up?"

But Johnson seemingly predicted his own downfall and social media users pointed out the symmetry online.

From 6pm Tuesday to 8:30am this morning 52 Tory MPs resigned in an attempt to force Johnson out (Getty Images)

One wrote: "Somewhere, Gordon Brown is chuckling this morning."

And another said: "Boris Johnson, the Journalist, writes in 2010 about Prime minister then, Gordon Brown overstaying his term. It must feel like self immolation now."

A third simply commented: "Oh dear, this hasn't aged well."

And this column was far from the only one of the soon-to-be ex-Prime Minister's that foreshadowed his own future.

Boris Johnson has spent the past few days fighting for his political life (Getty Images)

When writing about Tony Blair in 2006, he argued that the then Labour leader shouldn't hang around at all and immediately leave No.10.

This now stands as incredibly prescient after it is believed that Johnson will resign today from head of the Conservative party and as Prime Minister.

Then, he wrote: "That is no basis on which to claim tenancy of Downing Street. If he wishes to avoid an assassination, he should stay not upon the order of his going, but go at once."

The Prime Minister has suffered over 50 resignations since Sajid Javid and Rishi Sunak dramatically resigned on Tuesday evening.

Johnson came out firing in his column at then Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown (PA)

His authority has been ripped up so badly his own Attorney General, Suella Braverman, has toured TV and radio stations to publicise her own future leadership bid.

This all comes as Johnson has remained defiant inside No.10, refusing to budge as increasing amounts of his own party demand he do.

Back in 2010 he wrote: “The whole thing is unbelievable. As I write these words, Gordon Brown is still holed up in Downing Street.

“He is like some illegal settler in the Sinai desert, lashing himself to the radiator, or like David Brent haunting The Office in that excruciating episode when he refuses to acknowledge that he has been sacked.

"Isn't there someone – the Queen's Private Secretary, the nice policeman on the door of No 10 – whose job it is to tell him that the game is up?”

With surprising precognition he lambasts Gordon Brown and asks “Will Gordon ever leave the bathroom?”

Twelve years after he wrote that, many of Johnson’s own MPs are asking the same question about him.

This morning has already seen a flurry of resignations that have further pushed Johnson’s limping government to the edge.

Through yesterday, a record breaking day which saw 46 Tory MP resignations and one sacking, Johnson carried on as normal, attending a bruising PMQs and a two hour long parliament scrutiny committee.

The rest of the column crosses a number of subjects from London’s taxes to an ascendant SNP.

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