Former UK PM Major: Boris Johnson must go now, for good of the country

LONDON (Reuters) - Former British Prime Minister John Major said outgoing leader Boris Johnson should not remain in Downing Street until a successor is found "for the overall wellbeing of the country".

Major, prime minister from 1990 to 1997 and from Johnson's Conservative Party, said deputy PM Dominic Raab could take over until a new leader is found, or the party could change the selection rules to speed up the process.

"The proposal for the prime minister to remain in office - for up to three months - having lost the support of his cabinet, his government and his parliamentary party is unwise, and may be unsustainable," he said in a public letter.

(Reporting by Kate Holton and William James)