Nicola Sturgeon calls for Boris Johnson’s resignation — and a general election after Supreme Court ruling The First Minister said the Prime Minister was now in charge of an ‘extreme, out of touch, law breaking’ government

Nicola Sturgeon has called for Boris Johnson to resign and for a general election to be held in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling, claiming his behaviour “shames his office”.

The First Minister said the Prime Minister was now in charge of an “extreme, out of touch, law breaking” government that was no longer functioning.

In a speech at the Scottish Parliament that had to be hastily arranged after the historic judgement in London, Ms Sturgeon said Mr Johnson was ultimately responsible for the “fiasco”.

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The SNP leader also said another general election should be called as soon as the possibility of a no-deal Brexit on 31 October was removed and the EU deadline extended.

Election looming?

Scottish Conservative leader Jackson Carlaw said his party was ready to fight another election and predicted that the SNP would lose votes due to its demands for a second independence referendum.

Describing the Supreme Court ruling as “truly historic and unprecedented”, Ms Sturgeon said it was “hard to think of another democratic country in which there has been a more damning verdict on the behaviour of a Prime Minister”.

The Supreme Court case was triggered after a ruling by Scotland’s Court of Session that Mr Johnson’s decision to suspend Parliament was was “unlawful” and had been used to “stymie” MPs.

Calling for the Prime Minister resignation, Nicola Sturgeon said anyone who believed in the “rule of law” should support her position regardless of their political allegiance.

Vote of no confidence

“It is of course possible for a Prime Minister to continue in office if they are unpopular. It is even possible for a Prime Minister to survive in office if they are not competent,” she added.

“But no Prime Minister should believe they can act with impunity and remain in office when they have acted unlawfully in the manner and in the circumstances set out so clearly.”

With now MPs set to return to Westminster on Wednesday, the SNP are expected to push for a vote of no confidence in Mr Johnson to be tabled immediately, but Labour may prefer to wait.

Mr Carlaw, who is leading the Scottish Tories in the wake of Ruth Davidson’s resignation, described the Supreme Court judgement as “profound” and called for MPs to work to get a deal with the EU.

Speaking outside the chamber afterwards, he ducked questions over whether Mr Johnson should resign, saying his future was ultimately “for the people to decide” at a general election.

He added: “I’m confident that the Scottish people will want to put any talk of a second independence referendum well behind them, and the Scottish Conservatives will do particularly well in that election when it comes.”