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Isle Of Wight Leaders React To Boris Johnson's Resignation

Isle of Wight leaders are reacting to the Prime Minister's resignation.

Boris Johnson resigned as Prime Minister earlier today (Thursday) after less than three years in office.

After yesterday announcing he'd no longer back his leader should there be another confidence vote held, Conservative MP Bob Seely said:

“I believe Boris has made the right decision to step aside. Despite his past strengths, he is becoming a distraction to governing Britain. I am concerned that important debates and important issues — on the Island and nationally — are being drowned out by the incessant noise from Downing Street.

“I thank Boris for his service, he’s had some big wins — and I’m sorry it has ended this way — but I believe his resignation today is the right decision for the Conservative Party and the right decision for our country.

“I believe Boris should go now and make way for others to come forward. We need to move swiftly on. We need a new leader who has the trust and respect of his or her colleagues — and a renewed sense of purpose — to govern us through a pivotal stage in our country’s history and meet the nation’s challenges.

“We need to regroup, rebuild and get on with delivering for the people we represent."

Labour's Richard Quigley said:

"Johnson has outstayed his welcome and should not be allowed to stay on 'til October, writing books at the tax payers expense and filling the Lord's with his cronies. 

"For the sake of the country, the chaos of the past few months needs to come to an end. We need a Government focused on fixing the cost of living crisis, building affordable homes and making sure the NHS is in a better state than it was pre-pandemic. 

"The sad thing for the Island is it puts the Island deal our MP promised us even further away. Bob Seely said Johnson was the best chance of us getting a deal. Bob even backed Johnson as recently as last week. 

"There are decent people that vote Conservative on the Island, the problem is our Conservative MP hasn't done the decent thing for Islanders. He backed the wrong horse for his own gain. He now needs to do the decent thing and put the Island first  and not his career."

For the Green Party, Vix Lowthion said:

"Boris Johnson should leave Number 10 with immediate effect. Far too many MPs from his own party, including our current Isle of Wight MP, have made public statements against his premiership for him to stay in post.

"He is a liar, a manipulator and a dishonest man. Residents of the Isle of Wight have told me about their concerns and anger for many months — but ministers and ordinary Conservative MPs like Bob Seely continued to keep him in office in the mistaken belief that he will keep them in their well-paid jobs.

"Islanders will not forget the damage the Conservative Party as a whole have wilfully inflicted on this country in the middle of a pandemic, a cost of living crisis and the accelerating climate crisis. Boris Johnson isn't one bad apple — the whole tree is rotten and public confidence in this government is rock bottom. We now need a General Election to give the people a say on how we want our country to be run."

And the Isle of Wight Liberal Democrats said:

“We are relieved to see Boris Johnson will go. He has long been unfit to be prime minister, if he ever was. Those who supported him must look at their own morals and integrity and realise that they also must shoulder some of the blame for his chaos. 

"Boris must go, and go immediately, not waiting for a leadership election. The country needs a new leadership. 

“A new prime minister must bring a new attitude to governing. One that genuinely helps those who are already in desperate situations due to the cost of living crisis.

“One that will tackle the crisis of housing, ensuring that everyone has access to genuinely affordable housing to rent or buy.

“One that is honest about the harm done to the UK economy by Boris’s extreme form of Brexit. Restoring the customs union would slash costs and red tape for British business.

“And one that invests across the board to reduce the UK’s reliance on fossil fuels, and accelerate us towards sustainable carbon-neutrality.

“To achieve this we need a general election.

“It’s not just Boris Johnson who lost confidence. The British public have lost confidence in the Conservative Party, who only acted once Boris Johnson took things to the very brink of constitutional crisis.”

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