Watch: 'Hasta la vista, baby,' says Boris Johnson as he exits parliament

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.

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.

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His parting speech also gave advice to his as-yet-unnamed successor: Stay close to the United States, support Ukraine, cut taxes and deregulate, don't let the finance ministry constrain ambitious projects, and pay attention to the electorate.

"Remember, above all, it's not Twitter that counts, it's the people that sent us here," Johnson said.