Conservatives say Johnson should be forced out now because letting him stay until fall is risky
Jessica Elgot
Two former ministers have told the Guardian they believe it is not possible for Johnson to stay until the fall.
One said, “He has to leave tonight, Raab should take over.” Another said, “You have to hand over the stamps of office today and leave. So we can have a contested prime minister.”
Another very advanced conservative source who has been with Johnson for the past 48 hours said his behavior meant it was dangerous for the country to stay. The source said:
His behavior in the last 48 hours and was reckless and erratic. He cannot be trusted to lead the country until the fall. God knows what he will do.
A former government adviser said it was “dangerous” for Johnson to remain in office. Another former minister called it “a shame.”
Updated at 10.16 BST
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Simon Hoare, the Conservative chairman of the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee, says Boris Johnson could remain “beyond credulity” until the autumn.
Ministers resigned * because * of the prime minister. The Party lost confidence * because * of the PM. It is beyond credulity that Mr. Johnson can stay in office even for a while. New constitutional territory but it has to go and go means go
– Deputy by Simon Hoare (@ Simon4NDorst) July 7, 2022
Rebecca Pow resigns as Environment Minister
Rebecca Pow has resigned as Environment Minister. He has been at home with Covid, and it seems as if he drafted his letter before Boris Johnson announced his resignation. In the letter he says he believes Johnson’s position is “no longer sustainable.” Johnson has come to the same conclusion.
It appears that Johnson’s resignation came too late to avoid a resignation that was already in process.
This week I was home with the Covid-19. This morning I submitted my resignation as Minister of the Environment. The values, integrity, and morality I live with are at stake, and the needs of the country must always come first. My letter follows.
– Rebecca Pow (@pow_rebecca) July 7, 2022
Sturgeon says it is “unsustainable” for Johnson to remain prime minister until the fall
Nicola Sturgeon, the Prime Minister of Scotland, says she believes it is “unsustainable” for Boris Johnson to remain prime minister until the autumn. She posted them on Twitter.
1. There will be a widespread sense of relief that the chaos of the last few days (in fact, months) will end, although the idea of Boris Johnson remaining prime minister until the fall seems far from ideal, and surely unsustainable? https://t.co/SQXuCC1HYH
– Nicola Sturgeon (@NicolaSturgeon) July 7, 2022
2. Boris Johnson was always manifestly incapable of being prime minister and the Conservatives should never have elected him leader or held him in office for as long as they have done so. But the problems are much deeper than an individual. The Westminster system is broken.
– Nicola Sturgeon (@NicolaSturgeon) July 7, 2022
3. For 🏴, the democratic deficit inherent in the Westminster government is not fixed with a change of prime minister. None of the alternative Conservative prime ministers would ever be elected in Scotland. And in political terms, it’s hard to see what a real difference Hard Brexit that supports Labor offers.
– Nicola Sturgeon (@NicolaSturgeon) July 7, 2022
4. Independence only comes if a majority living in Scotland chooses it, but there is no doubt that it offers the real and permanent alternative to Westminster, and the opportunity to develop our potential at home and play our part. as a good global citizen. It is time for this choice.
– Nicola Sturgeon (@NicolaSturgeon) July 7, 2022
5. Finally, my differences with Boris Johnson are many and profound. But leadership is difficult and involves a lot of stress and strain, so on a personal level I wish him and his family the best.
– Nicola Sturgeon (@NicolaSturgeon) July 7, 2022
Buckingham Palace declined to comment on whether the Queen had any communication with Boris Johnson on Thursday morning, PA Media reports. The Queen is at Windsor Castle and the court circular recorded that she held her weekly telephone hearing with Johnson on Wednesday evening.
On the Today program, David Breis, the former Brexit secretary, said he was “not too worried” about the possibility of Boris Johnson remaining prime minister over the summer. He said appointing someone else as interim prime minister would be difficult because it looked like half the cabinet would run in the leadership contest. Dominic Raab is deputy prime minister, but Davis noted that Raab also has a full-time job, as secretary of justice.
Keir Starmer has said Boris Johnson’s resignation is good news for the country. In a statement he said:
It is good news for the country that Boris Johnson has resigned as prime minister.
But it should have happened a long time ago.
He was not always fit for office.
He has been responsible for lies, scandals and fraud on an industrial scale.
And everyone who has been complicit should be completely ashamed.
The Tory party has caused chaos in the country during the worst cost-of-living crisis in decades.
And now they can’t pretend that they are the ones to solve it …
We don’t need to change the Conservatives at the top, we need a proper change of government.
We need a fresh start for Britain.
Updated at 10.03 BST
Conservatives say Johnson should be forced out now because letting him stay until fall is risky
Jessica Elgot
Two former ministers have told the Guardian they believe it is not possible for Johnson to stay until the fall.
One said, “He has to leave tonight, Raab should take over.” Another said, “You have to hand over the stamps of office today and leave. So we can have a contested prime minister.”
Another very advanced conservative source who has been with Johnson for the past 48 hours said his behavior meant it was dangerous for the country to stay. The source said:
His behavior in the last 48 hours and was reckless and erratic. He cannot be trusted to lead the country until the fall. God knows what he will do.
A former government adviser said it was “dangerous” for Johnson to remain in office. Another former minister called it “a shame.”
Updated at 10.16 BST
On the Today program, James Cartlidge, who resigned this morning as court minister, said he thought it would be reasonable for Boris Johnson to remain as interim prime minister while the leadership contest takes place.
He was asked if he thought he could return to his ministerial post, he said he did not know, and that he had resigned out of respect.
George Freeman, who resigned as science minister this morning, says Boris Johnson should resign now and let an interim prime minister take over while the Conservative leadership contest takes place.
Yes. We need ministers back on their desks.
Now, finally, the Prime Minister has done the decent thing he needs to hand over the stamps of office, apologize to His Majesty, allow him to appoint a janitor under whom ministers can serve, so that the Conservative Party can choose a new leader correctly . https://t.co/vcOb1pvrx1
– George Freeman MP (@GeorgeFreemanMP) July 7, 2022
James Forsyth of The Spectator says there is growing support for the Conservative party in the proposal that Boris Johnson should be forced to step aside almost immediately so that Dominic Raab can take over as interim prime minister. (See 8:08 p.m.)
There is a growing view among ministers that Boris Johnson should go immediately and Dominic Raab should become interim prime minister and re-appoint all resigned ministers https://t.co/ftMXEq8Ixv
– James Forsyth (@JGForsyth) July 7, 2022
Johnson currently wants to stay until the fall. (Maybe at some level you think the party might have changed its mind then?)
When he leaves office, Boris Johnson will have overtaken Theresa May as prime minister, reports PA Media’s Ian Jones.
Johnson overtook Neville Chamberlain. Given the amount of time it will take for the Conservatives to elect a new leader, it will almost certainly be the case in May as well. pic.twitter.com/4PvRppXlzO
– Ian Jones (@ian_a_jones) July 7, 2022
Gavin Barwell, the fellow Conservative who was Theresa May’s chief of staff when she was prime minister, told Today that she thought it would be difficult for ministers who have stayed with Boris Johnson to the end to argue in a leadership contest that it would be able to represent a “significant change”. The party needed a candidate who could restore the standards of public life, he said.
He said Rishi Sunak and Sajid Javid might find it easier to argue that they are changing candidates because they precipitated Johnson’s downfall with his resignations Tuesday night.
Boris Johnson will resign after telling the 1922 Committee Chairman that he will resign
Boris Johnson spoke with Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the 1922 Conservative Committee, and agreed to resign, sources say No. 10. The decision was made around 8:30 p.m.
Updated at 09.43 BST
The pound was trading higher with the news of the resignation of Boris Johnson: 0.6% more to 1.198 US dollars and 0.4% stronger to 1.174 euros, reports PA Media.
Downing Street has issued a statement saying, “The Prime Minister will make a statement to the country today.” Boris Johnson is expected to deliver it from number 10 before lunchtime.
Stations on Downing Street this morning. Photography: Justin Tallis / AFP / Getty Images
Boris Johnson’s resignation means the Conservative leadership contest has already officially begun. In this morning’s Today program, Suella Braverman, the Attorney General, and Steve Baker, the former Brexit minister, have both been presenting their work.
Last night, my partner Helena Horton spoke to Baker about the type of platform she would campaign on if she stays.
On the Today program (which is still airing), Chris Philp, who resigned as minister this morning (see 8:12 p.m.), says he believes it would be “reasonable” for Boris Johnson to continue as prime minister until the fall.
They asked him if he thought so …