has launched a scathing attack on , accusing his erstwhile protege of ending his political career with a betrayal similar to that of Brutus in murdering Julius Caesar.
The former Prime Minister dipped into his classical education In the latest extract from his memoirs, claiming his former chancellor, whom he once saw as a “friend and partner,” of orchestrating a plot “worse than a crime”.
He claimed that when Mr Sunak attempted to oust him by resigning from his cabinet in July 2022, Mr Johnson quietly echoed the dying words of Julius Caesar, “You too, child.”
Mr Johnson insisted he did not blame Mr Sunak for wanting to become PM “prematurely,” but emphasised his belief that he he would have won the 2024 election, unlike his rival, who was “vaporised”.
Mr Johnson stepped down after stepped down as health secretary, followed less than an hour later by Mr Sunak.
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Boris Johnson compared Rishi Sunak to Brutus, who assassinated Julius Caesar (Image: GETTY)
In the days which followed, dozens more ministers resigned.
In the book, being serialised by The Daily Mail, Mr Johnson wrote that he was “fairly phlegmatic” about Mr Javid’s resignation, believing him to be “paranoid about his own position”.
However, he admitted that Mr Sunak’s resignation later that day left him “sad.”
He wrote: “It was worse than a crime, it was a mistake – for Rishi, the party, and the country.
“As I read his resignation letter, with its heavy phrasing, I murmured (at least inwardly) the dying words of Julius Caesar, kai sun, teknon [you too, child].
“If Caesar was stabbed 23 times by his assassins, I ended up with 62, as a total of 60 ministers followed Saj and Rishi out of the door.
Rishi Sunak acknowledges his election defeat outside Number 10 on July 5 (Image: Getty)
“In the end, that’s why I had to go. I could have still formed a government – I had enough straw to make bricks. But by then, I felt I was merely delaying the inevitable.”
“You too, child” is reputed to be what Caesar actually said to Brutus as he and others fatally stabbed him on March 15, 44 BC, known as the Ides of March.
The more familiar phrase, “Et tu, Brute?” comes from Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar.
Mr Johnson even compared his ousting to being shot, saying sometimes one “barely feel the wound at first,” but then “it hurts a lot”.
He also claimed it was part of a longer-term plot, stating “many of them had been at it for ages, some from the moment I took office.”
He nevertheless admitted he had made “too many poor appointments, a few of whom turned out to be homicidal maniacs”.
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Boris Johnson was more dismissive of former Health Secretary Sajid Javid’s significance (Image: Getty)
He further acknowledged mishandling several crises and failing to keep the parliamentary party on board.
Mr Johnson continued: “I don’t blame Rishi for prematurely wanting to be PM; I don’t really blame any of them for trying to oust me. It’s just what Tory MPs do.
“Rather than blaming my colleagues for kicking me out, I should be thanking the majority who stood by me, believed in me, and in what we were doing – and, in many cases, still do.
“There’s no doubt in my mind that if we had all stuck together, we would have won in 2024, and many more of my friends would still have their seats.”
Mr Johnson also rejected suggestions that the partygate scandal or the bungling of minister Chris Pincher’s resignation had finished him, claiming some MPs just wanted him “out of their hair”.
Boris Johnson resigns in 2022 (Image: Getty)
Speaking about Mr Sunak, Mr Johnson said: “I didn’t see any evidence that he knew how to handle the scale of the job, run a massive campaign, or project a vision for the future that would resonate with voters.
“I thought Rishi’s best course would be to stick with us, help get us through 2024, and then take over in due time.
“He had faced some challenges in April regarding his wife’s tax affairs, and I can tell you, we all defended Rishi and his family wholeheartedly. I just assumed he would return the favour.”
Mr Johnson also said it was “madness” to announce the cancellation of HS2 at the Tory conference in Manchester.
He explained: “You don’t win an election unless you own the future, and it felt like we were cancelling the future.”
He also said it was “bonkers” to water down the Government’s planning bill, because it left the with no housing policy for young people – something he dismissed as a “cowardly capitulation to the supposed prejudices of their Nimby grandparents.”