Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
Politics
Graham Russell

‘Party’s over, Boris’: what the UK papers say about Johnson’s Partygate resignation

Boris Johnson ​​Rishi Sunak Partygate (Event) United Kingdom George Mann Daily Record National Sun
composite of uk newspaper front pages about Boris Johnson's resignation as MP
Boris Johnson’s resignation as MP over the Partygate report into his conduct during the Covid pandemic dominated Saturday’s newspaper front pages. Composite: i weekend/The Sun/Daily Mail/Daily Record/The Times

Boris Johnson’s departure from life as an MP ahead of the publication of the Partygate report plays out across Saturday’s front pages, which are filled with a mixture of acrimony, triumph and predictions of further “Tory bloodletting”.

The Guardian focuses on the reason for his decision to resign as MP, noting that the privileges committee found he misled parliament and recommended a lengthy suspension from the House of Commons. It finds a spot lower down for the reaction to Rishi Sunak approving Johnson’s honours list, regarded as rewarding those involved in the Partygate scandal.

The Times is among a few that go with the “party’s over” angle in their headline. It gives its main picture to a Johnson ally, Donald Trump, who is facing his own troubles over the retention of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago home.

The Daily Record says: “Party’s over, Boris”, and says he resigned over a “damning Partygate probe report into his lockdown antics”. It says he refused to take blame for his own downfall.

The Telegraph plays it relatively straight with the headline “Johnson quits as MP over Partygate” but notes his accusations of a “kangaroo court” and biased investigation in its subhead and intro.

The Daily Mail gives full prominence to Johnson’s version of events with the headline: “Boris: I’ve been forced out by a witch-hunt” and lists out his grievances in a series of bullet points. It notes the “prospect of a fresh round of Tory bloodletting”.

The Daily Express, a longtime and vocal Johnson supporter, says “Boris quits! ‘Kangaroo court forces me out’”. Its tweet foreshadows a “Tory civil war”, which could create a fresh headache for Sunak.

The Daily Mirror says “Johnson quits over Partygate” and calls him variously a “shamed ex-PM” and “deluded Tory”, questioning his assertion that he has been forced out.

The Sun has “Bojo: I quit” and reports that Sunak now faces a “knife-edge by-election”.

The i casts it as Johnson v Sunak, with the headline “Boris Johnson declares war on Sunak as he quits Parliament”. It notes the former PM’s attack on Sunak’s policies and handling of the post-Brexit era, and his leaving open the possibility of an attempt at returning to politics.

The National has perhaps the most pointed front page, with a brooding picture of Johnson, and the headline: “Arrogant to the end.”

The Financial Times gives Johnson a slot further down its front page, with the headline: “Johnson blames ‘partygate’ inquiry as he quits as MP and trigger by-election.”

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
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Martha Stewart's top-drawer storage method 'enables you to get dressed faster' – her decade-old lessons are just as impactful in modern bedrooms
Archival footage shows Stewart's cabinet storage solutions have no expiry date – we're sure her lessons will continue to work years from now
Homes & Gardens
Homes & Gardens
You can bet on anything. Should you?
Here are the risks involved when playing in America's growing casino
Salon
Salon
SNL’s star-studded cold open called the ‘best in the history of the show’
The sketch featured celebrities who have all hosted the show five times
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
“Crowds would get agitated as soon as they heard Slash’s intro riff”: Duff McKagan on the making of a Guns N’ Roses classic
How a song about the “hardscrabble lives” of the fledgling rockers became a timeless rock anthem
Louder
Louder
'Stranger Things' cast pens emotional notes after final season production wraps
Netflix recently announced that the production of Stranger Things season five has officially wrapped. Read further on Dynamite News:
Dynamite News
Dynamite News
Mufasa: The Lion King review – technically dazzling Disney origin story lacks soul
Moonlight director Barry Jenkins’s all-action tale boasts uncanny CGI effects and songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda, ​​but the screenplay is schmaltzy and derivative
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.
Download on the AppStore Get it on Google Play