'Good news': UK's Labour party on PM Boris Johnson's expected resignation

Keir Starmer, the leader of Britain's main opposition Labour party, on Thursday said Boris Johnson's expected resignation as prime minister was "good news". Starmer, however, said just changing the leader of the Conservative party was not enough.

"It is good news for the country that Boris Johnson has resigned as Prime Minister. But it should have happened long ago. He was always unfit for office. He has been responsible for lies, scandal and fraud on an industrial scale," said Starmer.

Embattled PM Johnson agreed to step down as the Conservative Party leader, ending an unprecedented political crisis and triggering an election for a Tory leader who will go on to become the new premier.

Johnson, 58, will remain in charge at 10 Downing Street until the process of electing a new leader is completed by the time of the Conservative Party conference, scheduled for October. He is expected to announce his resignation formally and address the nation later on Thursday.

"The Prime Minister will make a statement to the country today," a Downing Street spokesperson said.

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Justin Tomlinson, deputy chairman of the Conservative party said, "I was Team Boris, as the GE (general election) showed he was our star player who connected across traditional political divides. Yes, there were ups and downs, but he turbo-charged social mobility and opportunity… His resignation was inevitable. As a party, we must quickly unite and focus on what matters. These are serious times on many fronts."

George Freeman, Conservative lawmaker and former minister, said, "We need ministers back at their desks. Now PM has finally done the decent thing he needs to hand in the seals an office, apologise to Her Majesty, allow her to appoint a caretaker under whom ministers can serve, so the Conservative party can choose a new leader properly."

Nicola Sturgeon, Scottish first minister, said there will be a widespread sense of relief that the chaos of the last few days will come to an end, though “notion of Johnson staying on as PM until autumn seems far from ideal, and surely not sustainable?”

(With inputs from PTI, Reuters)