Dorset MPs on what Boris Johnson's legacy will consist of

Rishi Sunak or Liz Truss will be announced as the new leader of the party and in turn Prime Minister via a vote of Tory party members. 

The Daily Echo asked some of our MPs how they believe Mr Johnson’s three year tenure will be remembered as he steps down. 

Michael Tomlinson said Mr Johnson was “warm, funny and generous”, whereas Sir Robert Syms described him as “Marmite”. 

MPs reflected on the ‘success’ of delivering Brexit and recognised the difficulties he faced during Covid. 

Conor Burns MP said Mr Johnson is a "consequential" PM (Image: Daily Echo)

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MP for Bournemouth West, Conor Burns – who has been an ardent supporter of the outgoing PM, said Mr Johnson will be remembered as a “consequential” PM because he placed himself as the head of the Leave campaign.  

“Without his leadership Leave may have struggled to win,” Mr Burns added. 

“It's a great sadness for me. His premiership will be regarded as a missed opportunity. He had the largest majority before the Conservative Party since Margaret Thatcher in 1987. 

“Through a combination of bad luck (Covid) and misjudgment - never surrounding himself with the right people to deliver - his premiership will be remembered as one of what could have been. 

Sir Robert Syms described the PM as "marmite" (Image: Daily Echo)

MP for Poole, Sir Robert Syms, said we will need a “few years” to see how we will view “Marmite” Mr Johnson’s legacy. He said: “Some politicians look better several years later, and others look less good several years later when you see how things turn out. 

“The fact that he managed to get the country out of the European Union with a trade agreement will probably go down as one of the big events. 

“After that, we will probably think of the difficulties had with Covid.” 

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Read more: Photos of Prime Minister Boris Johnson in Dorset

Boris Johnson in Dorset earlier this week

Sir Robert said Mr Johnson had “good and bad points” and that his premiership was “very bumpy because of the events that followed”, including Brexit, Covid and the war in Ukraine. 

He added: “I still think people like him, but I don't think he will go down as one of the greatest prime ministers but he will certainly go down as somebody that had quite a rough period in office. 

“Boris was earning multiple salaries of a PM’s salary as a journalist and writer. Boris may be miserable that his term ended rather quickly, but his main problem in the future is he will earn a lot of money and pay a lot of tax on it." 

Michael Tomlinson described the PM as “warm, funny and generous”

Michael Tomlinson, MP for Mid Dorset and North Poole, described Boris as “warm, funny and generous” in private, adding that in public he delivered Brexit, delivered “unprecedented support” for businesses and people during the pandemic.

He added: “His visit to Dorset this week highlighted one of his priorities, driving transformation in our country through technology and highlighting the excellent work of Wessex Internet. 

“It is too soon to say how history will remember Boris. Never was a Prime Minister faced with so many challenges: Brexit, Covid, Ukraine, international inflation.  

“The numerous Ukrainian families living here in Dorset will remember his early, correct and decisive call to support President Zelensky and the people of Ukraine.”