Starmer tells Tories not to ‘inflict’ Johnson on the country for months to come
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Boris Johnson must not be allowed to linger in Downing Street after resigning as Tory leader, Sir Keir Starmer said.
The Labour leader said the Conservatives should not “inflict” someone they deem to be “unfit” for office on the country.
He said Labour would use a Commons motion to attempt to oust him if the Prime Minister refused to hand over the reins to a caretaker premier.
Mr Johnson intends to carry on as Prime Minister until a new Tory leader is elected, something which could take months.
Sir Keir said: “He needs to go completely. None of this nonsense about clinging on for a few months.
“He’s inflicted lies, fraud and chaos in the country.
“We’re stuck with a Government which isn’t functioning in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis.
“And all of those that have been propping him up should be utterly ashamed of themselves.”
Sir Keir told reporters at Westminster: “His own party have finally concluded that he’s unfit to be Prime Minister, they can’t now inflict him on the country for the next few months.
“It’s obvious he’s unfit to be Prime Minister. That’s been blindingly obvious for a very, very long time.
“If they don’t get rid of him then Labour will step up, in the national interest, and bring a vote of no confidence because we can’t go on with this Prime Minister clinging on for months and months to come.”
The Labour leader called for a general election, saying: “We don’t need to change the Tory at the top – we need a proper change of Government.”
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey also called for Mr Johnson to go and hand power to an interim government.
