Rousing speeches are far from the norm these days, let alone from UK politicians – but this week we got one.

At the end of Team GB’s Olympic and Paralympic parade on Monday, London Mayor Boris Johnson stepped up to the microphone and, despite having presented many times in recent weeks, delivered a fresh, entertaining and – above all – emotional speech that the crowd loved.

After announcing he’d keep it brief, as the athletes hadn’t yet been allowed a drop of beer, Johnson said: “We’ve come now to the final tear-sodden, juddering climax of London 2012”. Almost choking up, he went on to thank those who had “helped to deliver the greatest Olympic and Paralympic Games that have ever been held”, and exuded such generosity of spirit that he even managed to raise a cheer of thanks from the crowd for the work of security firm G4S, which had taken a media pounding in the run up to the Games.

Speaking on the fantastic achievements of Team GB itself, Boris said: “you brought this country together in a way we never expected. You righted the doubters and you scattered the gloomsters, and for the first time in living memory, you caused Tube passengers to break into spontaneous conversation with their neighbours … you showed fantastic grace in victory and amazing courage in defeat … you brought sport home to a city and country where, by and large, it was invented.”

The speech went further with warmth, passion and, of course – as is always the case with Boris Johnson – humour. And he had the thousands-strong crowd cheering and applauding throughout.

Some in the media jokingly asked if this was a candidate’s speech for the post of PM. If it was, then judging from the reception, David Cameron had better watch out.