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The Tory MP is urging colleagues to be cautious about quickly replacing Johnson
Tory MP David Davies has urged fellow MPs and former government ministers to be cautious about trying to quickly replace Boris Johnson as prime minister or try to prevent him from serving in the role until a new Conservative leader is elected.
The former cabinet minister told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “My concern is not about Boris or even about Boris’s views.
“My concern is choosing the easiest way for this change that we have to make, and any way we choose has problems, but waiting until you have a new leader creates the least problems.”
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Kwarteng criticizes ‘oppressive state of affairs’
Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng called the past 72 hours a “depressing state of affairs” and called on the prime minister to step down immediately.
“So much unnecessary damage has been done. Now we need a new leader as soon as possible. Someone who can restore trust, heal the country and lay out a new, sensible and coherent economic approach to helping families.
“I’m in Teesside today launching a £400m investment – a new offshore wind farm which will employ hundreds of local people.
“Westminster is a mess, but this investment – and these jobs – will outlive any Prime Minister. The wheels of government must go on in the meantime.”
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The outgoing Tory vice-president agrees that the Prime Minister
Former Tory deputy leader Bim Afolami, who resigned yesterday, has given his support to the appointment of an interim prime minister.
He retweeted a post by Tory MP George Freeman calling on the prime minister to “hand over the seals of office, apologize to Her Majesty and advise her to ask for a caretaker prime minister”.
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Lammy: ‘Good riddance to amoral, incompetent prime minister’
Shadow Foreign Secretary David Lammy suggested “getting rid of the most dishonest, incompetent and immoral Prime Minister in modern British history”.
He tweeted: “He should never have been allowed to disgrace number 10. Now is the time to kick his party of followers and sycophants out of power and give Britain a fresh start.”
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Prime Minister ‘should resign’, Tory MP says
Conservative MP for Bognor Regis and Littlehampton Nick Gibb tweeted: “As well as resigning as party leader, the Prime Minister should resign from office.
“Having lost so many ministers, he has lost the credibility and authority he needs to continue.
“We need a sitting prime minister who is not a leadership candidate to stabilize the government until a new leader is elected.
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FCO parliamentary assistant resigns
Rob Butler has resigned as Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office after concluding he “could no longer reconcile loyalty” to Boris Johnson.
“I completely agree with you that we need to focus relentlessly on the most important challenges we face – the cost of living, the post-Covid recovery for the NHS and the war in Ukraine,” the Aylesbury MP wrote in a letter to the Prime Minister, before to be announced, Boris Johnson has agreed to step down.
“However, it has become clear that this is no longer possible with the distraction caused by questions about your personal leadership. In particular, details of the circumstances that have emerged in recent days surrounding the appointment, conduct and departure of the previous Deputy Chief Whip are deeply disturbing and sadly show to me that ultimately the necessary lessons have not been learned in Downing Street.
“Loyalty is rightly valued highly in politics; we succeed as a team. But I can no longer reconcile loyalty to you as Prime Minister with the integrity I have always sought to demonstrate, whether in my workplace, in voluntary roles or in my personal life.
“It is therefore with regret that I must now stand down as PPS.”
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No comment from Buckingham Palace on the Prime Minister’s resignation
Buckingham Palace declined to comment on whether the Queen had any communication with Boris Johnson on Thursday morning.
The Queen is at Windsor Castle and the court heard she held her weekly telephone audience with Mr Johnson on Wednesday night.
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Davis is “not worried” if the prime minister stays in office
Tory MP and former minister David Davies indicated he would back Mr Johnson to stay in place until a new leader is elected.
He said on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “I’m not too worried about Boris staying in place until we get new leadership.
“We’re setting off a whole new set of problems if we try to resist…it’s going to take a month or two.”
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Questions over whether outgoing ministers will serve under Johnson
With the Prime Minister’s departure all but confirmed, focus is now turning to whether he should stay on as caretaker until a new leader is chosen.
Gavin Barwell, a former chief of staff at Number 10, has cast doubt on whether ministers who have walked out in the past two days will return to their posts.
He tweeted: “Good that the PM has recognized the reality. It is important that the election of the leadership is relatively quick (lack of a party chairman is a problem when agreeing on the schedule).
“The question is whether the prime minister will be able to lead a caretaker government in the interim – will enough ministers agree to serve?”
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The Tories have “done deep damage” in government, says Starmer
Sir Keir continued: “They have been in power for 12 years. The damage they have caused is profound.
“Twelve years of economic stagnation. Twelve years of declining public services. Twelve years of empty promises.
“Enough is enough. We don’t need to change the Tories at the top – we need a proper change of government.
“We need a fresh start for Britain.”
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