Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Politics
Lizzy Buchan

Boris Johnson boasts 'not even a flesh wound' as he's compared to Monty Python's Black Knight

Boris Johnson shrugged off Monty Python comparisons by muttering that his no confidence vote had not even left a "flesh wound".

SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford likened the Prime Minister to the comedic character in 'Monty Python and the Holy Grail', who claims that his mortal wounds are merely minor injuries.

Mr Johnson could be seen mouthing "not even a flesh wound" as he was accused "delusion and denial" over his future in Downing Street.

In his first PMQs clash since he survived a confidence vote on Monday, the PM joked his political career had "barely begun" and "absolutely nothing" would stop him from delivering on his mandate.

It comes after Mr Johnson clung onto power by 211 votes to 148, which means 41% of Tories opposed him.

Mr Blackford said he had long called for the "lame duck" PM to quit but he hadn't realised four out of 10 Tory MPs agreed.

The Black Knight in the 1975 film 'Monty Python and the Holy Grail' (BBC)

The SNP chief said: "The Prime Minister is acting like Monty Python's Black Knight, running around declaring it's just a flesh wound.

"And no amount of delusion and denial will save the Prime Minister from the truth: this story won't go away until he goes away."

The Ross Sky and Lochaber MP demanded to know asked: "Can the Prime Minister tell us how it is democratic that Scotland is struck with a Prime Minister we don't trust, a Conservative Party we don't support, and Tory governments we haven't voted for since 1955?"

Mr Johnson replied: "We had a referendum, as I've told the House before, in 2014. I think he should respect the mandate of the people.

"He keeps saying he wants independence for his country. Our country is independent... and the only way that independence would ever be reversed would be if we had the disaster of a Labour-SNP coalition to take us back into the EU."

Earlier in the session, Labour's Angela Eagle confronted the PM over the Tory infighting - and told him the vote was proof he was "loathed".

She demanded to know "if 148 of his own backbenchers don't trust him, why on earth should the country?"

Mr Johnson joked that his political career had "barely begun" and said had "picked up political opponents all over" because "this Government has done some very big and very remarkable things which they didn't necessarily approve of".

"And what I want her to know is that absolutely nothing and no-one, least of all her, is going to stop us with getting on delivering for the British people," he added.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.