Starmer, Sturgeon and Davey respond to Boris Johnson’s resignation: Election, referendum and unity on the table
Labour leader Keir Starmer has led the response to Boris Johnson’s impending resignation, saying he has been “Responsible for lies, scandal and fraud on an industrial scale”
North of the border, the Scottish National Party’s Nicola Sturgeon saw the resignation as a renewed opportunity to push for independence, while Wales’ First Minister Mark Drakeford called for unity.
Speaking after the PM said he would quit Downing Street, in wake of more than 50 letters of resignation, the Labour leader said the resignation “should have happened long ago” but it will be good for the country.
“He was always unfit for office. He has been responsible for lies, scandal and fraud on an industrial scale.”
“And all those who have been complicit should be utterly ashamed.”
He accused the party of having “inflicted chaos” on the country amid the cost of living crisis, and over the last 12 years, where the “damage they have done is profound.”
Starmer accused the government of 12 years of “economic stagnation, declining public services and empty promises.
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey responded by saying “Johnson may have gone but the stain on the Conservative Party can’t be removed that easily. This cruel callous Government must go.
“The idea that the Conservatives might make Boris Johnson caretaker for anything is frankly ludicrous. The man’s never taken care of anything in his life.”
This comes as Scotland’s Nicola Sturgeon has been making renewed calls for a second independence referendum, which Boris Johnson had refused to grant.
She responded to his resignation saying “there will be a widespread sense of relief that the chaos of the last few days (indeed months) will come to an end, though notion of Boris Johnson staying on as PM until autumn seems far from ideal, and surely not sustainable.”
She claimed Johnson was “always manifestly unfit to be PM” ..but the problems run much deeper than one individual. The Westminster system is broken.”
“For Scotland the democratic deficit inherent in Westminster government doesn’t get fixed with a change of PM. None of the alternative Tory PMs would ever be elected in Scotland. And in policy terms, it is hard to see what real difference hard Brexit supporting Labour offers.”
“Independence only happens if a majority living in Scotland choose it – but there is no doubt it offers the real and permanent alternative to Westminster, and the opportunity to fulfil our potential at home and play our part as a good global citizen. It’s time for that choice.”
The First Minister of Wales, Mark Drakeford, said: “All four nations need a stable UK Government and I am therefore pleased to see the Prime Minister has now done the right thing and agreed to resign.”