Keir Starmer urges cabinet ministers to remove Boris Johnson

READ MORE: Rishi Sunak and Sajid Javid quit Boris Johnson's Government over Pincher scandal

His comments came after Prime Minister Boris Johnson denied lying to aides about his knowledge of allegations against Chris Pincher.

Sir Keir said: "What we’re seeing this week is a repeat of what we’ve seen so many times, which is Government ministers going out onto the airwaves, giving answers to questions, and no sooner have they finished the media round that the answers they’ve given aren’t accurate because the Prime Minister and Number 10 haven’t been straight with them."

He added: “That is not this week’s story – although it is this week’s story – it’s every week’s story. It’s on repeat, which is why you see the Conservative Party tearing itself apart today.

“Should his Cabinet members make sure he leaves office, yes they should. It’s their responsibility, in the national interest, to remove him from office.

"They know what he’s like, he’s said that he’s psychologically incapable of changing, and therefore they have to do what’s in the national interest and remove him.”

Sir Keir added: “They should resign, or force him to resign. They have to step up in the national interest now, otherwise, they are nodding dogs in this. I would say to them directly, act in the national interest and resign."

Speaking after the resignations, the party leader said it was clear that the "Government is now collapsing.”

The Labour leader said in a statement: “After all the sleaze, the scandals and the failure, it’s clear that this Government is now collapsing. Tory cabinet ministers have known all along who this Prime Minister is.

“They have been his cheerleaders throughout this sorry saga:
– backing him when he broke the law
– backing him when he lied repeatedly
– backing him when he mocked the sacrifices of the British people.

“In doing so, they have been complicit every step of the way as he has disgraced his office and let down his country. If they had a shred of integrity they would have gone months ago.

“The British public will not be fooled. The Tory party is corrupted and changing one man won’t fix that."

Rishi Sunak has suggested in his resignation letter to the Prime Minister that the Government is not being “conducted properly, competently and seriously”, as he told Boris Johnson that “our approaches are fundamentally too different”.

He wrote: “The public rightly expect government to be conducted properly, competently and seriously. I recognise this may be my last ministerial job, but I believe these standards are worth fighting for and that is why I am resigning”.

He also said he had been “loyal” to Mr Johnson.

“On those occasions where I disagreed with you privately, I have supported you publicly”.

Mr Sunak also wrote: “In preparation for our proposed joint speech on the economy next week, it has become clear to me that our approaches are fundamentally too different.

“I am sad to be leaving Government but I have reluctantly come to the conclusion that we cannot continue like this.”

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Sajid Javid told the Prime Minister that the recent vote of confidence was a “moment for humility, grip and new direction”.

“I regret to say, however, that it is clear to me that this situation will not change under your leadership – and you have therefore lost my confidence too.”

He also told Boris Johnson: “You will forever be credited with seeing off the threat of Corbynism, and breaking the deadlock on Brexit.”

He continued: “The country needs a strong and principled Conservative Party, and the Party is bigger than any one individual. I served you loyally and as a friend, but we all serve the country first.

“When made to choose between those loyalties there can only be one answer.”