'Hasta la vista, baby,' says UK's Boris Johnson

(Reuters); British Prime Minister Boris Johnson bowed out of his final showpiece parliamentary appearance with a round of applause from his party, jeers from opponents, and an enigmatic exit line: “Mission largely accomplished … hasta la vista, baby.”

Johnson was forced to announce his resignation earlier this month after a mass rebellion against the latest in a string of scandals that his party decided had undermined his ability to lead the country any longer after three turbulent years in charge.

Speaking in his final “Prime Minister’s Questions”, the weekly fixture of the political calendar which pits the prime minister against his opponents in rowdy debate, Johnson sought to shape his legacy around the COVID-19 response and his support of Ukraine in its defence against Russia.

“We’ve helped, I’ve helped, get this country through a pandemic and help save another country from barbarism. And frankly, that’s enough to be going on with. Mission largely accomplished,” Johnson said.

“I want to thank everybody here and hasta la vista, baby.”

The line, borrowed from Arnold Schwarzenegger in the 1991 movie “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” and translated as “see you later”, prompted a round of applause from most on his own side.

Only two weeks ago, some of those clapping had resigned from his government, criticized his leadership and demanded he quit. Reporters in the debating chamber said his predecessor, Theresa May, did not stand to clap.