Welsh politician react to the resignation of the Prime Minister

The Wales First Minister, Mark Drakeford, called for a general election.

Mr Drakeford said: "I’m pleased the prime minister has now done the right thing and agreed to resign. All four nations need a stable UK government. The way to achieve that is by a general election so the decision about the next prime minister is made by the people and not by the narrow membership of the Conservative party."

Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader Jane Dodds MS from Mid Wales said she believed the saga had turned Conservative voters away from the party.

She said: “Finally this whole sorry and undignified saga has come to an end. It was always abundantly clear that Boris Johnson was unfit to be Prime Minister and those that backed him to the hilt have a responsibility for the mess and destruction he and his brand of populism has had on our country.

“The Welsh public won’t forgive so many Welsh Conservative MPs for propping up Boris Johnson for so long against various scandals while at the same time ordinary families were struggling to cope with the cost-of-living crisis.

“Johnson or no Johnson, for many former Conservative voters the party they once knew is beyond redemption and will not be coming back.”

Wales will be treated with the ‘same disdain’ whoever replaces Boris Johnson, according to Plaid Cymru’s leadership. Adam Price and Liz Saville Roberts. In a statement they said: “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.”

Wrexham Tory MP, Sarah Atherton that being from a military background loyalty was very important and she had been a supporter of the PM.

“He delivered Brexit, got the country through the pandemic, and has been steadfast in his support for Ukraine.

“However, over the weekend I had serious concerns about the conduct of the former Deputy Chief Whip, his admission, and how it was managed. This made the Prime Minister’s position untenable.

“For the last year, I have campaigned for rooting out inappropriate behaviours in the military and I believe that this should apply to all walks of life."

Former Montgomeryshire MP, Glyn Davies, the challenge for any incoming prime minister would be managing the economy when public expectations have been risen to unrealistic levels during the pandemic and aftermath.