Yahoo Sports Theresa May Stages Silent Protest Against Boris Johnson As He Leaves His Final PMQs
Theresa May refused to take a stand when it came to Boris Johnson's exit on Wednesday (Photo: Toby Melville via PA Wire/PA Images)
Theresa May suggested there was no love lost between her and Boris Johnson on Wednesday when she refused to clap him while he left the Commons.
The prime minister had just taken part in his final PMQs, although he will not officially leave No.10 until September when his successor has been appointed.
Despite the furore around his exit, Johnson seemed in good spirits and parted by channeling The Terminator, saying “hasta la vista, baby” to the House.
While almost every Tory MP stood, clapped and cheered as Johnson left the despatch box for his final time as PM, one among them stood out.
Footage from ITV’s Shehab Khan showed that May stayed sitting, even looking the other way as Johnson departed.
After a few seconds, she did stand, and stared after Johnson. Once the benches around her started whistling, she folded her arms and looked on after the prime minister.
Incredible moment as former PM Theresa May refuses to clap for @BorisJohnson at his last PMQs pic.twitter.com/gPFFBgp6AP
— Shehab Khan ITV (@ShehabKhan) July 20, 2022
It follows a different clip of May which went viral after Johnson resigned when she was seen dancing happily while attending Henley Festival in Oxfordshire.
May was actually forced out of Downing Street by her own party, much like Johnson, but the two have come to blows in the past.
She appointed him as her foreign secretary back in 2018, although they clashed over Brexit as Johnson repeatedly tried to make her take a more hardline approach with the EU.
She has also called him out since he became prime minister about both the Northern Ireland Protocol and his conduct in partygate.
May wasn’t the only person who held back from applauding Johnson upon his exit – Labour refused to clap at all.
This article originally appeared on HuffPost UK and has been updated.
