People across the North East have been reacting to Boris Johnson's resignation.
The Prime Minister agreed to step down today after speaking to Tory 1922 Committee chairman Sir Graham Brady. However, he has said he would remain as PM until autumn.
Mr Johnson addressed the nation this afternoon, telling people: "It is clearly now the will of the parliamentary Conservative Party that there should be a new leader of that party and therefore a new Prime Minister."
Read more: Boris Johnson's resignation speech in full
He went on to say that he was "immensely proud" of the achievements of the Conservative Government under his leadership, including Brexit, getting people through the pandemic, and "reclaiming the power for this country to make its own laws in Parliament".
But today people seemed in agreement that he had held on to his position for far too long.
Rebecca Highton, from Kingston Park said was happy about Mr Johnson's resignation, which she described as "a long time coming".
The 27-year old added: "I think he held off as long as he possibly could because he had no shame at all. I'm glad he's finally going and I hope they do get an interim caretaker Prime Minister because having him until autumn is still far too long.
"The fact that he is going is something, but it's a shame that it has taken so much for it to happen. Somebody alleged to have sexually assaulted other people and the Prime Minister having a knowledge of these accusations but still hiring him, as well as his handling of the pandemic and 'Partygate', and every other scandal that he's been involved in.
"He clearly has no shame to have stayed as Prime Minister for this long."
Rebecca's son Alfie, three, who was born with cerebral palsy, was seriously unwell while 'Partygate' was going on. The mum strictly followed the Covid rules which left her alone at her son's hospital bedside, while her husband and other son were unable to visit.
Rebecca also explained that during the pandemic doctors were going to postpone surgery for Alfie. But at the same time she said she was told that if Alfie caught Covid, because of his vulnerabilities, he "would likely die".
She said: "It was a really terrible position we were in and then you find out that MPs were partying in that time."
Rebecca added that she's not surprised at how the last week in politics has turned out and believes all party members who have resigned have done so to "cover their own backs". She also explained that she has "no faith" in any of the Tories because "they have stuck by Boris Johnson for far too long".
She said: "When you look at society as a whole at present, especially over the last few years, how the public now reacts to allegations of sexual assault, the ministers have reacted correctly in how they have handled Boris Johnson's actions in hiring someone who has previous allegations of sexual misconduct against them.
"It is disappointing, however, that people's lives have to be ruined to this extent for Tory MPs to take note and do what's necessary.
Rebecca added: "I think they're covering their own backs, each and every one of them. I don't think any of them have done it for the right reasons and I don't think any of them have done it for the sake of the people who have come forward.
"I think they've done it because they don't want to be associated with a Prime Minister who appoints someone who has this record, rather than the stand in unity with victims."
Amanda Martindale, from Stanley, also said Mr Johnson's resignation had been "a long time coming".
She added: "I think judging the way he's behaved he's thought he was infallible and now people have just had enough of him. You can't just go around thinking that you can do what you want when you're running the country."
Amanda, from Stanley, was "absolutely furious" when she was forced to pay £1600 to the bailiffs for her son's unpaid lockdown fine. Her son Alex was handed a £1100 fine for participating in a seven-person inside gathering during Tier 4 restrictions. This was then hiked up to £1600 when the fine was unpaid.
But the situation was made more frustrating when the Prime Minister was fined just £50 for also attending a gathering during lockdown. And the Sue Gray report into 'Partygate' prompted further frustration after uncovering a series of wrongdoings in government during the pandemic.
The 51-year-old added: "Boris Johnson got fined £50 for just one occasion, despite there being several parties. Yet a 23-year-old lad who works in a supermarket ended up with a £1600 fine and ended with the bailiffs at his door, it's shocking.
"What's £50 to Boris? Nothing! But £1600 to my son was huge and the whole family had to club in to help him pay it because he doesn't have that sort of money. There would have been more money made from the people in that one house being fined than the whole of Downing Street."
Reflecting on Mr Johnson's resignation, Amanda said: "I'm happy that he's going but to be honest I don't think anyone else could do any worse, but I also don't think they could do much better either. Who are we going to get next? Is it just going to be another idiot?"
Amanda's view that things are unlikely to improve with a new Prime Minister is shared by Angie Comerford, who runs Hebburn Helps community foodbank. She said: "I don't think things will get any better 'cause it's still a Tory government.
"They're all running off the same policies so I don't think much will change. Hopefully there might be one of them there that wants to do right by the people and not have people starving because they can't afford to live.
"But, honestly, I can't see it getting much better because their hands are going to be tied by delivering a Tory policy. A whole change of government, as in a whole change of leadership party, would be the ideal outcome but I doubt that is going to happen right now."
She added: "We're seeing a 37% rise on this time last year in the number of working poor coming through the door. Some of them are working 40 hours a week and they cannot make ends meet. We need someone who is going to be able to fix that.
"We need someone that's going to help end that rather than telling people to work longer hours or get a better paid job. But at the minute I don't think things will get any better.
"If you'd asked me seven years ago I might have said there was hope, but over the years it's just got worse and I don't know how much worse it can get."
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