Sir Keir Starmer calls for general election as politicians react to Liz Truss’s resignation
Sir Keir Starmer has called for an immediate general election after Liz Truss announced her resignation as prime minister.
The Labour leader said the Conservative Party has “shown it no longer has a mandate to govern”, adding that British people “deserve so much better than this revolving door of chaos”.
“The Tories cannot respond to their latest shambles by yet again simply clicking their fingers and shuffling the people at the top without the consent of the British people,” Sir Keir said in a statement.
UK to have new PM in a week – follow Politics latest
“They do not have a mandate to put the country through yet another experiment; Britain is not their personal fiefdom to run how they wish.”
“The British public deserve a proper say on the country’s future.
“They must have the chance to compare the Tories’ chaos with Labour’s plans to sort out their mess, grow the economy for working people and rebuild the country for a fairer, greener future.
“We must have a chance at a fresh start. We need a general election – now.”
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey echoed the call for the public to go to the polls.
“We don’t need another Conservative prime minister lurching from crisis to crisis,” he said on social media.
“We need a general election now and the Conservatives out of power.”
As did First Minister of Wales, Mark Drakeford, who said: “A general election is now the only way to end this paralysis.”
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‘Public are entitled to a say’
Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price and Westminster leader Liz Saville Roberts agreed, adding: “We urgently need a general election so that the people of Wales can reject this Westminster chaos at the ballot box.”
Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon described the events in Westminster as an “utter shambles”.
“There are no words to describe this utter shambles adequately. It’s beyond hyperbole and parody,” Ms Sturgeon said.
“Reality though is that ordinary people are paying the price. The interests of the Tory party should concern no-one right now.
“A general election is now a democratic imperative.”
Read more: Who would replace Truss as PM?
Andrew RT Davies, leader of the Conservatives in the Senedd, said Ms Truss had done the “right thing” in standing down.
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Liz Truss’s rise and fall
Leader of the Scottish Conservatives, Douglas Ross, agreed that Ms Truss had made “the right decision”.
“We must now move forward quickly and the new Leader and Prime Minister will have to restore stability for the good of the country,” he said in a post on social media.
While Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt told MPs she would “keep calm and carry on” and encouraged others to do the same.
Asked in the chamber about Liz Truss’s resignation and the state of the government, Ms Mordaunt – who is considered a potential successor to the PM – said: “I am going to keep calm and carry on – and I would suggest everyone else do the same.”
Across the pond, US President Joe Biden has also responded to Ms Truss’s resignation.
“The United States and the United Kingdom are strong allies and enduring friends – and that fact will never change,” he said in a statement.
Ms Truss departs Number 10 just 44 days after taking over from Boris Johnson.
A man’s body has been recovered from an area of flooding in North Yorkshire, police have said, as major incidents have been declared in two counties.
The body was found near Intake Lane in Beal, close to Eggborough and Knottingley.
Police believe the man may have entered the water in the last 24 to 48 hours.
Follow the latest on the weather
North Yorkshire Police said: “Despite extensive enquiries, including with our colleagues in Humberside and West Yorkshire Police, we have been unable to identify him.
“He was found without any identification or personal belongings.”
The man was also described as white, in his early 50s to 60s, with light brown short hair and stubble.
He was wearing brown walking boots, blue denim jeans, a multicoloured knitted jumper and possibly a dark green waterproof coat, police added.
It comes after Leicestershire and Lincolnshire both declared a major incident in response to the extreme weather hitting the UK and Ireland.
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Leicestershire Fire and Rescue was the first emergency service in England to declare an incident and said it had received more than 200 calls since Monday morning over widespread flooding.
Crews had found cars stuck in floodwater and evacuated residents from flooded homes and rising waters, with some 17 people rescued as of 1.45pm.
The Lincolnshire Resilience Forum declared a major incident shortly after, and noted that emergency services had rescued children who were stranded at a school in Edenham.
Meanwhile, the Met Office has three yellow weather warnings – each for snow and ice – in effect throughout Monday evening and Tuesday morning.
Pic: Met Office
A warning covering the west and north coast of Scotland – reaching into Inverness and Aberdeen – will last until midday, while an alert in effect for all of Northern Ireland will last until 11am.
The Met Office has also issued a warning covering Wales and parts of northwest England on Monday evening, moving into southwest England, the Midlands and parts of southern England in the early hours of Tuesday.
On Wednesday, a yellow weather warning for snow is in effect across the south of England – stretching from just above Truro in Cornwall to Canterbury in Kent – from 9am to midnight.
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