Boris Johnson throws his toys from the pram as Privileges Committee consequences loomed large - The Yorkshire Post says

‘Hasta la vista, baby’ he declared, leaving nobody in any doubt that when he also said ‘mission largely accomplished, for now’ he was hinting at that now iconic pop culture catchphrase taken from the same film: ‘I’ll be back.’

Make no mistake, when that herd moved, as Johnson described it, it did move fast but if the departing premier felt he’d swerved its stampede leaving his political career intact, for him to fight another day, he was mistaken.

For that fury-fuelled fire of indignation that was visibly burning inside the man who powered the Conservatives to the biggest general election winning majority in 50 years is today barely a smouldering ember, with Mr Johnson not only forced out of number 10 but now also removing himself from Parliament and political life altogether.

Remember the letter home from school by classics teacher Martin Hammond to Stanley Johnson, the father to then 17-year-old Boris, which, with hindsight, prophetically captured Johnson’s character?

It read: “He sometimes seems affronted when criticised for what amounts to a gross failure of responsibility. He honestly thinks it churlish of us not to regard him as an exception; one who should be free of the network of obligation that binds everyone else.’

And so as if only to prove his Etonian mentor correct all over again, Mr Johnson, having been alerted to the consequences coming his way via the Privileges Committee following his contemptuous flouting of pandemic lockdown rules, lashed out at the committee, accused the members of conducting a witch-hunt against him and walked away from his constituents and political life, perhaps for good.