Starmer plots more chaos as vengeful Major tells PM: Go now
TORY MPs last night rejected a call by Sir John Major for Boris Johnson to leave Downing Street immediately.
In an extraordinary intervention, the former prime minister said it would be ‘unwise and may be unsustainable’ for Mr Johnson to remain in office while a new Tory leader is elected.
It came as Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer vowed to table a Commons no- confidence motion in the Prime Minister unless he hands the keys to No 10 to a caretaker leader.
Mr Johnson yesterday fought to stay in Downing Street until October and began rebuilding his Cabinet as the battle to replace him got under way.
Constitutional experts are clear he is entitled to remain in No 10 until a new party leader, who will be able to form a government, is in place.
But Sir John warned the new Cabinet would not be able to ‘restrain him’. In a letter to Sir Graham
Brady, chairman of the Tory backbench 1922 committee, he
suggested Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab could be installed as acting premier until the next leader is chosen. Sir John also said as an alternative
there could be a shorter leadership contest, with MPs electing the leader and grassroots Tory members to endorse the result.
Meanwhile Sir Keir, who yesterday went to Wimbledon and sat in the royal box with his wife Victoria, called for a general
election and threatened to try to oust Mr Johnson if he refuses to hand over to a caretaker.
He 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.’
Tory MPs turned on Sir John, branding his proposal ‘ not very democratic’ and ‘ wrong’.
Michael Fabricant told BBC News: ‘It’s quite interesting isn’t it that John Major has come up
with a proposal that maybe the rules should be changed and it should be the MPs who choose the successor. I’m not sure I
would go with it as it’s not very democratic to not involve the Conservative Party as a whole.’
Mark Pritchard, former chairman of the 1922 committee, said he disagreed with Sir John.
He told Sky News: ‘I think on this one he’s got it wrong. There’s a precedent. David Cameron in the transition carried on as Prime Minister, albeit for just a few weeks – Theresa May for six, seven weeks.
‘I think it’s right that the Prime Minister should carry on. He’s set out a timetable; he’s said he’s going to go. I think people should leave him alone and allow him to get on and govern the country for the next few months.’
Veteran Tory MP David Davis cautioned against replacing Mr Johnson too quickly.
‘My concern is to pick the most straightforward way through this change we have to do and every way we pick has got problems. But the one of waiting until you have got a new leader provides the least problems,’ he told BBC Radio 4’s Today.
Prior to resigning Mr Johnson had reshuffled his Cabinet after the avalanche of resignations.
Greg Clark was appointed Levelling Up Secretary. James Cleverly was made Education Secretary and Kit Malthouse appointed as new Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.
Will Quince also made a surprise return as education minister, despite resigning on Wednesday. Johnny Mercer was given his old role of veterans’ minister, which he quit last year.
‘On this one he’s got it wrong’