The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Sturgeon calls for Johnson to resign First minister urges the UK Government not to leave EU without a deal
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon joined calls for Boris Johnson to resign as prime minister during an unscheduled announcement to the Scottish parliament yesterday.
As well as calling for Mr Johnson to step down, she demanded the UK Government make clear it will not take the UK out of the EU without a deal on October 31.
Ms Sturgeon said there should be a general election as it is “impossible to have confidence in this prime minister or the government he leads”.
Ms Sturgeon said: “It was Boris Johnson who took the decision to prorogue Parliament.
“It was Boris Johnson who acted unlawfully, and I do not say this lightly, but it is Boris Johnson who must now resign.”
“It is of course possible for a prime minister to continue in office if they are unpopular.
“It is even possible for a prime minister to survive in office if they are not competent.
“But no prime minister should believe they can act with impunity and remain in office when they have acted unlawfully in the manner and in the circumstances set out so clearly by the Supreme Court today.”
Ochil and South Perthshire MP for the Conservatives, Luke Graham, said he still expected Mr Johnson to carry out Brexit as prime minister.
He said: “This was an unprecedented ruling, but government should and is following the decision, as such parliament will resume later this morning.
“We need to respect the results of referenda, whether that is the result of 2014 or 2016. I’ve voted to leave three times with a deal now and will do so again.
“The prime minister needs to focus on delivering Brexit, as promised. I am ready to sit evenings and weekends to break this impasse and sort Brexit.”
The SNP’S Westminster leader Ian Blackford said: “This is unprecedented and the prime minister has to accept his responsibilities – he must resign.
“He’s been thwarted in that, he must resign and if he doesn’t resign then parliament has got to do that for him. Parliament must remove Boris Johnson as prime minister.”
Opposition MPS from across Courier Country echoed calls for Mr Johnson to resign.
Dundee West SNP MP Chris Law said: “It is clear that Boris Johnson must now resign. Through his attempts to silence parliament, he has demonstrated outright contempt for democracy, and cannot be trusted to lawfully run the country or legally secure a Brexit deal.”
Glenrothes SNP MP Peter Grant said: “Boris Johnson has shown complete contempt for parliament, the monarchy and the constitution of the UK. He does not deserve to be prime minister.”
Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath Labour MP Lesley Laird said: “The Supreme Court has vindicated what we’ve said all along – this prorogation was an outrageous abuse of power. Boris Johnson has been found out and if he has any conscience at all, he should resign.” When is a suspension not a suspension? When the heads of state of the UK order it.
A joke I’m unsure will catch on, but according to the Supreme Court prorogue never legally happened – perhaps we all imagined it.
So aghast was I when the unanimous decision was announced I broke my crystal ball. I have been forced to try and work out what happens next the old-fashioned way. I am not alone.
Speaker John Bercow announced MPS will return to the House by 11.30am. Mr Johnson will be thanking what’s left of his lucky stars he will not face instantaneous scrutiny, there is not enough time to organise Prime Minister’s Question Time by lunchtime.
Looming on the horizon is, in no particular order; a general election, a vote of no-confidence, the EU summit on October 17-18, the return of parliament this morning and Conservative conference on October 2
“So aghast was I when the unanimous decision was announced I broke my crystal ball
– none of which I imagine Mr Johnson is particularly looking forward to.
The opposition will try to grab hold of the order paper, similar to how they did prior to the imaginary prorogue, to scrutinise what steps Mr Johnson has made recently regarding a Brexit deal.
Parliament passed legislation ordering the prime minister to ask for an extension to Brexit. Mr Johnson said he would not ask for an extension, which would mean him disobeying the law. I would hold on to your supreme court TV subscription for the time being.
As is Brexit’s raison d’être, other news was overshadowed by another unprecedented day.
Violent crime in Scotland is up, so much so, the justice secretary has ordered a study to find out how the victims of repeat violent behaviour feel (even without a crystal ball, I’ll hazard “not positively”).
Thomas Cook’s CEO Peter Fankhauser pocketed millions as his company spiralled toward oblivion. The taxpayer has to pay for the repatriation of stranded travellers. Staff, thrown from the proverbial fuselage, are still working to try and get people home, unlikely for any recompense (other than the acknowledgement they are thoroughly decent people).