LABOUR MPs in Gwent have welcomed the news of Boris Johnson's resignation but said it was overdue.

While Mr Johnson has quit as leader of the Conservative Party, he intends to remain in post as prime minister until a successor has been chosen via a leadership contest.

This is causing some concern among the Gwent area's six Labour MPs, including Newport West's Ruth Jones, who said any notion he stay on as a "caretaker" in Downing Street should be "completely out of the question".

"It’s long past time that Boris Johnson resigns, with this final sorry episode further proving just how sordid his time as prime minister has been," she said, adding that "Tory MPs have put us in this situation by repeatedly failing to ditch him". 

"They need to find their backbones and ensure he can’t wreak any more damage to our country and democracy," she said. "He needs to go and go now, if Tory MPs aren't up to it Labour will act in the national interest and bring forward a vote of no-confidence."

READ MORE: Gwent Conservative MP says 'we have to have stability in the country'

Jessica Morden, the Newport East MP, said Labour Party leader Keir Starmer was right to say the country "needs a fresh start now".

"For some time now its been clear that Boris Johnson is unfit for the office he holds and it is right that he has resigned - though it should never have taken this long for his party to decide that enough was enough," she said, adding: "Mr Johnson cannot be allowed to cling on in Downing Street, and if the Tory Party fails to take action to bring forward his overdue exit, Labour will act in the national interest and table a vote of no confidence next week."

In Torfaen, Nick Thomas-Symonds pulled no punches in his assessment of Mr Johnson's leadership.

"The resignation of this lying, lawbreaking prime minister is long-overdue and good news. His appalling behaviour has brought shame on our country," the Torfaen MP said.

"Every step of the way his MPs have been complicit and should be ashamed. The Tory mess has created chaos for the country and people in our communities are playing the price through this cost of living crisis.

"Just changing the prime minister won’t stop that rot. We need a fresh start and that means a change of government."

Caerphilly MP Wayne David and Blaenau Gwent MP Nick Smith expressed relief at Mr Johnson's announcement.

"This should have happened sooner, and I would have liked him to have gone immediately rather than in the autumn," Mr David said. "This whole sorry saga is a poor reflection on the Conservative Party and the sooner we get rid of them the better it will be for the country."

Mr Smith, meanwhile, said he was "glad" Mr Johnson had "finally" stood down and hoped an election would follow.

"At a time when we have needed leadership and direction, we have instead had a Tory party in chaos, dozens of ministers resigning from office and a discredited prime minister refusing to leave Downing Street," he said.

“I'm glad if there is a prospect of a general election to remove this government. Our country deserves better than this.”

Chris Evans, the MP for Islwyn, also said he would welcome an election.

“Finally, the unedifying spectacle of a discredited prime minister trying to cling to power has come to an end," he said.

"Too many Conservatives were happy to allow this man to continue, even though there has been scandal after scandal. Our country deserves better.

"It’s time for a general election and a Labour government to get this country back on track.”