Putney MP says Boris Johnson has undermined standards in public life
Boris Johnson announces he is standing down
Putney MP Fleur Anderson has described the current state of government in Westminster as ‘utterly farcical’.
Boris Johnson resigned on Thursday (7 July) afternoon as Conservative Party Leader but has stated that he intends to continue as ‘care-taker Prime Minister’ until a new leader is in place.
Several Conservative MPs and former leader Sir John Major have called for consideration to be given to Johnson being immediately removed as Prime Minister. Under normal circumstances, a departing party leader would remain in place until his or her successor is named, but many are arguing that, given the reasons for the resignation, an interim Prime Minister should be appointed. Johnson was forced to go after a historically unprecedented number of resignations from his government with many of the 59 ministers giving Johnson’s lack of integrity and honesty as the reason for their unwillingness to serve in his government. Labour Leader, Sir Keir Starmer is saying that he will move a vote on No Confidence in the government, if Johnson remains in post.
Fleur Anderson MP said, “I am glad to see that Boris Johnson has finally done the decent thing and resigned. But it should have happened a long time ago. Boris Johnson has never been fit to lead our country. He has brazenly misled the public time and again. On the doorstep, residents in Putney tell me they are furious about Boris Johnson’s behaviour. He has utterly undermined standards in public life.
“It is important to emphasise that Boris Johnson was enabled and supported by the entirety of the Conservative Party. Tory MPs did not resign over Covid deaths and missing five COBRA meetings, benefit cuts, crony contracts, Brexit failure, the appalling treatment of refugees or Partygate. They resigned when they thought Boris Johnson would stop them from being re-elected.
“The situation in Westminster is now utterly farcical. The business of governing the country has descended into chaos. The Conservatives have overseen 12 years of economic stagnation, declining public services and empty promises. Here in Putney, families have rising bills and a housing crisis leading to more people being evicted. I’m angry that the Government are not doing their job and will spend the summer in crisis. We don’t just need to change the Tory at the top – we need a complete change of government.”
The Conservative Party will now run a leadership race to find his replacement. Questions are now being raised as to whether given the historic number of ministerial resignations, the functioning of government will be severely impacted.
MPs have this morning in Parliament even questioned whether national security is at risk, due to the scale of currently unfilled posts in government.
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July 7, 2022
