Ousted Boris Johnson has finally accepted his fate in a chaotic farewell speech that feels classically Johnsonite. Littered with lofty references to Roman dictators and sarcastic metaphors about cheating relay races, Johnson ended his reign in true pompous fashion. Yet amidst all the jargon, he failed to thank his wife Carrie for supporting him during his tenure, despite dedicating a portion of his speech to his rescue dog Dilyn.
The Tory leader boasted over his leadership successes during his three-and-a-half-year stint at the helm - many of which he's peddled before in the face of scrutiny.
Getting Brexit done, the vaccine roll-out and supporting Ukraine were all mentioned amidst the pontifical discourse, but the soon-to-be former PM then veered into a bizarre analogy about his pet dog and No10's resident cat Larry before thanking the British public for their support.
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Standing in front of No10 with his wife Carrie, Johnson said: "Thank you to everyone behind me in this building for looking after me and my family over the last three years so well including Dilyn, the dog.
"And if Dilyn and Larry can put behind them their occasional difficulties, then so can the Conservative party.
"And above all thanks to you, the British people, to the voters for giving me the chance to serve".
If comparing political party spats to tussles between a famous feline and beloved dog wasn't strange enough, things only got worse as the pets were the only family members who got a look in during his speech.
Despite standing by his side, Carrie, who was visibly upset to be leaving No10, did not get a single mention.
The omission is even more pertinent given the married couple have been through so much during Johnson's time in the top job, including his stretch in intensive care after contracting Covid, the birth of their son Wilfred, getting married and huge political pressure during an unprecedented health crisis.
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Boris and Carrie Johnson adopted their Jack Russel cross in 2019, but just like its owner, the small terrier has faced some controversy during its time living at No10 - including enjoying a photoshoot on tax payers' cash and being renowned for 'endless' humping of people's legs.
Johnson's predecessor Theresa May chose to thank her husband in her emotional farewell speech in 2019, where she said: "Finally and most of all, I want to thank my husband Philip – who has been my greatest supporter and my closest companion".
David Cameron went even further during his final oration, in a heartfelt message to his wife: "And above all, I want to thank Samantha, the love of my life. You have kept me vaguely sane and, as well as being an amazing wife, mother and businesswoman, you have done something every week in that building behind me to celebrate the best spirit of voluntary service in our country".
Johnson may have avoided any gushing words to his wife in an attempt to protect her from the spotlight, as she faced a large amount of scrutiny from politicians during his tenure after being accused of meddling with political decisions while her husband was in office.
The couple likely met back 2012 when Carrie worked on his re-election campaign for major of London. Rumours circulated around the pair in spring 2018 when Boris attended Carrie's 30th birthday party.
Just months later, Boris and his then-wife Marina Wheeler announced their divorce after 25 years of marriage, and the public was introduced to his relationship with Carrie weeks later.
Since Boris became prime minister in 2019, Carrie faced widespread backlash for allegedly interfering with her husband's political agenda.
Tory peer Lord Ashcroft's sizzling biography claimed that she pushed for the luxury redecoration of the Downing Street flat, and that she was involved in the decision over the evacuation of stranded animals in Kabul when it fell under Taliban control last summer.
Dominic Cummings was also notoriously scathing about Johnson's wife, and the incessant pressure from political circles forced Carrie to publicly refute the accusations, branding them as a 'brutal briefing campaign' earlier this year.
A spokesperson for Boris Johnson's wife said “bitter ex-officials” were trying to discredit her and insisted she played “no role in the government”.
After the statement was released, Sajid Javid insisted that the attacks on Carrie Johnson were based on 'sexism' and 'misogyny' in a show of support for Mrs Johnson.
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