‘Not tomorrow, not later, Johnson should go now’
Opposition leaders as well as Tory party MPs were unhappy with his decision to stay on as a caretaker PM and agreed that he should be replaced as soon as possible
Boris Johnson resigned on Thursday as leader of Britain’s Conservative party, but - much to the dismay of several opposition and Tory leaders - said he would stay on as prime minister until a replacement is found.
“I’ve agreed with Sir Graham Brady, the chairman of our backbench MPs, that the process of choosing that new leader should begin now and the timetable will be announced next week. And I’ve today appointed a cabinet to serve, as I will, until the new leader is in place,” Johnson said outside 10 Downing Street.
But even before his formal announcement, many British leaders had rejected rumours that he would stay on till the process to elect a new leader was complete.
The Labour Party chief Keir Starmer said in a statement on
Thursday that his party will call a parliamentary no confidence vote in Johnson’s government if his Conservative Party don’t get rid of him immediately.
“His own party have finally concluded that he’s unfit to be prime minister,” Starmer said. “If they don’t get rid of him, then Labour will step up in the national interest and bring a vote of no confidence because we can’t go on with this prime minister clinging on for months and months to come.”
Scotland’s first minister Nicola Sturgeon on Thursday also said Johnson should not be allowed to stay in the job temporarily if he announces his resignation, and said a general election would be in the country’s interest.
“It is quite incredible to suggest that he will remain as prime minister for another three to four months,” Sturgeon said in a televised statement.
Asked about a general election, she said she thought holding one would be “in the interests of the UK as a whole right now”, but that she thought that outcome was unlikely.
More damningly, several Conservative members of parliament said on Thursday that Johnson should be replaced immediately rather than be allowed to remain as a caretaker leader until his successor is found.
Five Conservative members of parliament demanded he resign on Thursday and said another minister should take over during a process that could take weeks because he has lost the authority after more than 50 people quit government.
Dominic Raab, the deputy prime minister, would be a suitable replacement, two senior Conservative lawmakers said.
“We need to be rid of Boris as soon as possible. He’s too toxic. Raab as interim prime minister would be acceptable,” one Conservative lawmaker said.
Johnson’s decision to quit marks the end of a political career in which he led Britain out of the European Union and took his Conservative Party to the largest election victory in three decades.
Business minister Kwasi Kwarteng said the Conservative Party needed a new leader as soon as feasible, and insisted the government must continue to operate.
“We now need a new leader as soon as practicable. Someone who can rebuild trust, heal the country, and set out a new, sensible and consistent economic approach to help families,” he said on Twitter.
“The wheels of government must continue in the meantime.”
George Freeman, who resigned as science minister on Thursday, was more forthright.
“Boris Johnson needs to hand in the seals of office, apologise to Her Majesty and advise her to call for a caretaker prime minister to take over today so that ministers can get back to work and we can choose a new Conservative leader to try and repair the damage and rebuild trust,” he said.