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As it happened: Boris Johnson resigns

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Updates from the day when Mr Johnson quit as Tory leader, but pledged to stay on as PM until his successor is elected

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‘Bring it on!’ York Labour’s Pete Kilbane wants an election now

Cllr Pete Kilbane. Photograph: York Labour Group

Pete Kilbane, the deputy leader of York Labour Group, is naturally delighted that the Conservative Prime Minister is leaving office.

This is what he told David Dunning on YorkMix Radio today:

The whole thing has been a total fiasco for months – and even now the Conservative Party seem intent on dragging out the agony for another another two months.

Essentially, it seems that what the Conservative Party and Boris Johnson are mainly interested in is the Conservative Party – rather than getting on with running the country and helping people out.

David asked Cllr Kilbane if he would welcome a quick General Election. He said:

Bring it on. I think the country needs a change and we’re ready for it.

It would be great to give people that opportunity for a total fresh start, ditch this self serving elite who are just running the country in their own interests, and try and concentrate on the real people who need support and assistance to see us through the current cost of living crisis and the coming recession.

‘Evict today or he’ll cause carnage’ says Dominic Cummings

Boris Johnson’s former advisor Dominic Cummings wrote on Twitter: “Evict TODAY or he’ll cause CARNAGE, even now he’s playing for time & will try to stay

“No ‘dignity’, no ‘interim while leadership contest’.

“Raab shd be interim PM by evening.”

More York voters react to Boris Johnson quitting as PM

Here are some more York responses to the news today that Mr Johnson will resign as PM.

Listen: Former York Tory leader says ‘utterly disgraced’ Johnson should quit as PM immediately

Chris Steward

David Dunning at YorkMix Radio has been talking to Chris Steward, a former Conservative leader of City of York Council. He didn’t hold back – here are a few highlights:

Thank goodness he’s finally gone. My only hope now would be that he does go straight away, and we have an interim leader, rather than he drags it out until the autumn he leaves the office, utterly disgraced, utterly embarrassed and humiliated.

We’ve had good prime ministers and bad prime ministers, but he has been absolutely unfit for office. And it’s a great shame that he has been in power, allowed to stay in power – and now the Conservative Party has to start rebuilding.

And Chris doesn’t rate Mr Johnson’s fabled election-winning ability:

Boris Johnson’s election winning capabilities are massively over egged. He won two elections as London mayor when I do agree that he had a big impact and made that possible.

Apart from that he won the 2019 election when he was up against Jeremy Corbyn, people had to deal with Brexit one way or another. That was what that election was about. I think any Conservative would have won that election, maybe not with the same number of seats.

I do not believe that Boris Johnson is a proven election winner. We have of course been told over recent months that he is a proven election winner as he’s lost by-election after by-election with swings that we’ve never ever seen in history.

Listen to the full interview here:

‘Total collapse of government’ – Shadow culture secretary

Speaking in the Commons, Labour shadow culture secretary Lucy Powell said there is “paralysis and a total collapse of Government” with “parliamentary business on hold”.

Speaking at Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport questions, Ms Powell said: “I’m not surprised at all to see the Secretary of State (Nadine Dorries) still in her place. I had no doubt whatsoever that she would be the last woman standing supporting the Prime Minister while all around her collapses, including her own ministerial team.

“I did wonder, though, whether by this morning not only would she hold all the ministerial offices in her own department, but several other Cabinet posts as well.”

‘He was always unfit for office’ – Labour leader

Labour leader Keir Starmer during a visit to a pensioners drop-in session in Wakefield ahead of local elections. Photograph: Danny Lawson / PA wire

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said: “It is good news for the country that Boris Johnson has resigned as Prime Minister.

“But it should have happened long ago.

“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.

“The Tory party have inflicted chaos upon the country during the worst cost-of-living crisis in decades. And they cannot now pretend they are the ones to sort it out.

“They have been in power for 12 years. The damage they have done 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 Tory at the top – we need a proper change of government.

“We need a fresh start for Britain.”