Drakeford “pleased” to see Johnson has “done the right thing” and agreed to resign
Boris Johnson will resign as Conservative leader today but it is reported he will continue as prime minister until the autumn.
He is set to announce his resignation in a statement to the public later today.
It is understood Johnson will remain as “caretaker” until October.
A new prime minister is expected to be in place in time for the Conservative party conference in October.
News that Boris Johnson is set to resign has been welcomed by Wales’ first minister Mark Drakeford.
Following a huge number of resignations in 24 hours, including Welsh Secretary Simon Hart, more pressure mounted on the PM this morning with a further flurry of departures from his government.
Reacting on social media, 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.”
Scotland’s first minister said: Nicola Sturgeon said: “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?”
Andrew RT Davies MS, Leader of the Welsh Conservatives in the Senedd, said:
“I’ve always said it was essential for the Prime Minister to hold the confidence of our country, party and parliament. Clearly, that is no longer the case.
“Boris Johnson’s legacy will always be that he ended the deadlock and got Brexit done, delivering on the will of the British people.
“As well as securing a historic victory in 2019, Boris ensured our return to freedom out of the Covid-19 pandemic. Regrettably, it has now become very difficult for him to deliver on the mandate he secured.
“As a friend and supporter of the Prime Minister, I recognise his achievements over the last three years. It now falls to the Conservative Party to select a new leader to deliver on our manifesto commitments for the remainder of this parliament.
“I wish him, Carrie and the rest of his family all the best for the future and thank him for his service to our country.”
Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price and Westminster leader Liz Saville Roberts said:
“A belligerent Prime Minister finally falls on his sword. The ring master, with his cavalcade of clowns, has made a shambolic circus of UK democracy. Don’t be fooled, his successor will treat the electorate with the same disdain. Wales deserves so much better and we have a duty to demand it.
“This latest Conservative psychodrama only serves to shine a light on what many of us already know – Britain is a failing state.
“The outgoing Prime Minister has unleashed unprecedented damage on our devolution settlement. Powers have been rolled back, legislation has been unilaterally scrapped, and conventions have been relentlessly ignored.
“Tory candidates have a chance to prove us wrong. They could promise a fundamental rethink of the way Westminster interacts with Welsh devolution. They could promise to respect for our institutions and our requests for further devolved powers. Given their track record, we already know they won’t.
“As a Tory beauty contest begins between desperate hopefuls, we in Wales must remember that we have never elected a majority of Tory MPs. We must now redouble efforts to strengthen our own democracy in stark contrast to this Westminster circus.”
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