Boris Johnson on Thursday told the nation he is resigning as prime minister and clearing the stage for a new Tory leader by the autumn.
In an address outside No10, the defeated PM finally announced his “painful” decision to quit after conceding he could no longer cling on.
Two years and 348 days since he first entered No10 in 2019, the PM today called The Queen to tell her he planned to stand down.
He thanked his supporters and the millions who voted for him but said: “My friends, in politics, no one is remotely indispensable.”
He said he was “immensely proud of the achievements of this government” such as Brexit and the vaccine rollout.
Carrie Johnson held their daughter Romy as she gathered in Downing St with the PM’s loyalists.Advertisement
He fired the starting gun on a Conservative leadership race that will be bitterly fought throughout the summer.
But some Tory MPs are demanding Mr Johnson bows out now and hand over to a caretaker PM while a new leader is elected.
Mr Johnson’s government has utterly imploded with 55 resignations and junior ministers refusing to fill the vacant jobs.
Sir Keir Starmer has promised to table a vote of no confidence if Mr Johnson does not leave immediately.