'The Tory party has at last concluded that the prime minister is unfit for office, that was blindingly obvious a very, very long time ago.'
The Labour Party is today putting forward a motion for a no confidence vote in Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government in a bid to oust him from office sooner than he would like.
The party wants the vote to take place tomorrow, which could trigger a general election should the Tories lose. Although Boris Johnson has announced his resignation, he has been hoping to remain in Downing Street until the party selects a new leader. His successor isn’t expected to be announced until September 5th, meaning Johnson could stay there until then, a move that some in his own party have warned against.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said it would be “intolerable for the country” for Johnson to stay on after he was forced to resign as prime minister last week.
He said: “The Tory party has at last concluded that the prime minister is unfit for office, that was blindingly obvious a very, very long time ago. He is leaving because his own party has concluded that he can’t be trusted.
“They can’t now let him cling on for weeks, and weeks, and weeks… we’re challenging them to put their constituents first, and put the country first.”
Labour is unlikely to win any such vote, despite Tory MPs demanding Johnson go sooner, after the Conservative Party’s 1922 committee already setting out its leadership timetable.
Speaking to Sky’s Kay Burley, James Murray, Labour’s shadow financial secretary to the Treasury, said it was “the last opportunity to get Boris Johnson out of Downing Street before the end of parliament next week”.
He said: “Boris Johnson should go now. And we hope that the Conservative MPs agree with us on that […] I think the whole country realises Boris Johnson just has no integrity and honesty. I think it’s time for him to go.”
Nominations to replace Johnson open and close today in the Tory leadership race, with candidates needing the support of at least 20 MPs, the contest will then be whittled down to two candidates by Thursday.
Basit Mahmood is editor of Left Foot Forward
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