“Boris Stiffened the Resolve of the World in Standing Up to Putin”

As the world awoke today to the news of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s imminent ‘forced’ resignation, Conservative MP and Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Paul Bristow, spoke exclusively to Kyiv Post.

He outlined Boris Johnson’s achievements:

“Just two and a half years ago, Boris Johnson won a huge mandate to govern from the British people.  He received 14 million votes and won an 80+ seat majority. His mandate was from the British people and it should have been for the British people to judge him on his record.”

“The last Parliament was deadlocked. MPs blocked Brexit and the country could not move on. He won the 2019 General Election and finally delivered on the result of the 2016 referendum for the British people – navigating the U.K. country out of the European Union.”

“He took the country through COVID, delivered the fastest roll out of vaccines anywhere in the world, and ended painful lockdowns and restrictions.”

“The Prime Minister stiffened the resolve of the world when it came to standing up to Putin and supporting Ukraine.”

“Most importantly, he stopped the country being run by Jeremy Corbyn – a unreconstructed Marxist who would have taken us down a very dangerous path.”

“Let’s not forget that all of the Labour front bench, especially its current leader, Keir Starmer, campaigned for Jeremy Corbyn to become Prime Minister. Jeremy Corbyn is an apologist for Putin, an apologist for Russian aggression, and a significant player in the campaign that accused NATO, not Russia, of being the aggressor in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

“If Jeremy Corbyn was Prime Minister right now, we certainly wouldn’t be allied with Ukraine, and we’d be very much on the periphery of this conflict. We may even be looking at trying to form some kind of agreement with Putin. That’s not what the people of Ukraine want and that’s not in the interests of the west.”

“When there’s an aggressor, a bully like Putin, the last thing the west needs to do is retreat.

“You always need to stand up to bullies, and like I say, Ukraine is standing up to Russian bullies and fighting like lions.”

“Boris’ Government has delivered for my constituency in Peterborough – our new university is under construction, £23 million has been secured for our city centre regeneration, and we have a record number of police officers in Peterborough and Cambridgeshire.”

“I think removing the Prime Minister is a mistake – and I regret that many of my colleagues have lost faith in his leadership.”

On the war in Ukraine, the Conservative MP said:

“It’s a war of blatant aggression by Putin and by Russia. They’ve decided to inflict on the Ukrainian people the might of their war machine. But they completely underestimated the will of Ukrainians, their self-determination and ability to resist.”

“[Russia is] not only losing this war but showing they are anything but the great military power that they claim to be. What we see is Putin’s total disregard for the lives of his own young men. He’s sending thousands upon thousands to Ukraine to fight and die, many of whom don’t even want to go.”“The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom was unequivocal in his support for the people of Ukraine. He led the international response to Putin’s aggression, where other countries were slow to act, or in one or two cases were keener on placating Putin.”

“Boris Johnson understood that Ukraine wasn’t going to negotiate over its territory, that it needed support and arms to resist, and that if we were able to give Ukraine those arms and the means to resist, then that’s exactly what we would do.”

“Today is not only a sad day for Britain, but for Ukraine.”

“But we will now select a new leader of the Conservative Party, and thus a new Prime Minister for Britain. Commenting on the potential implications for Ukraine, Bristow stressed the UK’s support, delivering a message to all Ukrainians: The United Kingdom is with you. We stand shoulder-to-shoulder with you. This is not just your war; this is our war too. Our respect for your country and your people has grown enormously, and we will not abandon you in your time of need.”

Boris Johnson echoed Paul Bristow’s words in his resignation speech outside 10 Downing Street today, July 7 – directly addressing the people of Ukraine and providing reassurance that support for Ukraine will continue.