‘Shell-shocked’ Boris Johnson is framing himself as a martyr to protect his ego from his crushing political defeat, psychotherapists suggest.

After facing a mass exodus of MPs from his government since Tuesday, the Prime Minister finally gave his resignation speech in front of No 10 this afternoon.

Anger has been growing within the Tory party about how Mr Johnson handled the Chris Pincher groping scandal.

Resignation began after he admitted knowing of sexual assault allegations against the Tamworth MP when he promoted him to deputy chief whip in February.

No 10 changed the story a few times, initially denying he was aware of the claims, but then saying he ‘couldn’t recall’ the allegations.

This was after former top civil servant Lord McDonald said there had been an official complaint about Pincher’s behaviour in the summer of 2019.

Around this time yesterday, Mr Johnson remained ‘absolutely defiant’ that he wouldn’t be stepping down as he still had a clear mandate – despite his team crumbling around him.

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After some hard hitting resignations this morning, and his Chancellor turning on him less than 48 hours into the job, he eventually caved in.

But in today’s speech he didn’t apologise, didn’t use the terms like ‘resign’ and suggested the ‘herd instinct’ of his party brought him down.

Psychotherapist and author Sally Baker tells Metro.co.uk. ‘During recent public appearances Mr Johnson has appeared aggrieved and embattled against what he thinks are injustices,’

‘Johnson’s attitude has always been to use ten words when one might serve as a way to obfuscate and confuse.

‘From his demeaner and carefully chosen words he believes their are parties at large that are to blame for his current position and that he still feels he is the mandated leader who is entitled to hold office.

‘A narcissist deflects, blames and gaslights and rarely if ever sees the role they play in their own downfall hence his inability to use the word “resign” or to take authentic responsibility by accepting he made misjudgements and mistakes.’

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Psychotherapist Noel McDermott suggested Mr Johnson was ‘shell-shocked’ and that he could be painting himself as a martyr to help cope with the situation.

For someone in ‘denial’ about their shortcomings, it can be every surprising ‘when the comeuppance arrives’, he adds.

‘I suspect that the way people have got him to agree is to say you’re doing this for the greater good, and that’s what that language sounds like.

‘Rather than failure you’re stepping aside because something else has to happen.

‘In general terms an event like this for any human being would be a shocking emotional psychological event and there are various defences we have against feeling that depressive pain.

‘From a psychological perspective I would understand his language as him not yet being in touch with the reality of the situation.

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‘He’s had to create his own framing for it that distorts what’s really going on, the way people are seeing.

‘If he says he stepped down voluntarily because it’s for the food of the country – that’s so much easier to cope with emotionally, and he can probably convince himself that’s true.  

‘From my clinical perspective, it would be totally understandable for any human being in this situation to want to avoid feeling awful, and anything you can do that with such as inventing a new narrative makes a lot of sense.’

Mr McDermott doesn’t think Mr Johnson is anywhere near Donald Trump’s level and doesn’t believe the PM has narcissistic personality disorder.

However he does suspect he’s falling back on ‘narcissistic defences’ – processes whereby idealised aspects of the self are preserved, and its shortcomings are denied.

‘We all have those defences – denial, avoidance, minimisation. We would all do it in certain stressful situations,’ Mr McDermott adds.

‘I would guess he’s in survival mode psychologically. It’s going to take a while for him to come to terms with this, and what a spectacular failure this is.’

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