British Prime Minister Boris Johnson held his last scheduled cabinet meeting on Tuesday, receiving the first editions of books by wartime leader Winston Churchill on World War II as a parting gift.

The meeting was held on the hottest day in British history after Boris was criticised by the Opposition for failing to attend emergency meetings set up to discuss the heatwave response. Boris is remaining in office until his successor is named, after saying he would step down having lost the support of his party’s MPs. His downfall followed a series of scandals over lockdown parties at Downing Street and the handling of allegations against lawmakers.

It marks a remarkable collapse for a Prime Minister who in 2019 won the biggest Conservative vote share since 1979. Boris’s spokesman said the Prime Minister used his final cabinet meeting to emphasise his success in lifting Covid lockdowns. Asked if Boris had reflected on the mistakes that had brought him down, the spokesman said: “I don’t have any more to add on that”.

“At the conclusion of the cabinet, the Prime Minister was presented with gifts to thank him for his service to the country, including first editions of Winston Churchill’s books on the Second World War,” the spokesman told reporters. Churchill is a hero of Boris’s.