Boris Johnson is to resign as Prime Minister.
It comes following the resignations of Health Secretary Sajid Javid and the Chancellor Rishi Sunak and the resignations of over 50 MPs.
A No 10 source said Mr Johnson has spoken to the chairman of the backbench 1922 Committee, Sir Graham Brady and agreed to stand down, with a new Tory leader set to be in place by the party conference in October, reports Sky News.
The Prime Minister is set to make a statement later.
It came after Johnson apologised for appointing Chris Pincher as deputy chief whip despite knowing about a 2019 investigation into inappropriate behaviour made against Pincher. The MP resigned last week after being accused of groping two men in a private members club.
Johnson said it “was a mistake” to appoint Pincher to the role and “in hindsight the wrong thing to do”.
The Conservatives have overseen 12 years of economic stagnation, declining public services and empty promises.
We don’t need to change the Tory at the top – we need a proper change of government.
We need a fresh start for Britain. pic.twitter.com/uMxRTomXX9
— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) July 7, 2022
Reacting to the news, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer wrote on Twitter that “it was good news for the country that Boris Johnson has resigned as Prime Minister”.
He added: “The Conservatives have overseen 12 years of economic stagnation, declining public services and empty promises. We don’t need to change the Tory at the top – we need a proper change of government. We need a fresh start for Britain.”
He went on to say: “He [Johnson] was always unfit for office. He has been responsible for lies, scandal and fraud on an industrial scale. And all those who have been complicit should be utterly ashamed.
“The Tory Party have inflicted chaos on the country during the worst cost of living crisis in decades and they cannot now pretend they are the ones to sort it out.”
Starmer continued: “The damage they have done is profound. 12 years of economic stagnation, 12 years of declining public services, 12 years of empty promises. Enough is enough.”
1. There will be a widespread sense of relief that the chaos of the last few days (indeed months) will come to an end, though notion of Boris Johnson staying on as PM until autumn seems far from ideal, and surely not sustainable? https://t.co/SQXuCC1HYH
— Nicola Sturgeon (@NicolaSturgeon) July 7, 2022
Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon tweeted there would be “a widespread sense of relief” that the “chaos” was coming to an end.
But the SNP leader added: “[The] notion of Boris Johnson staying on as PM until autumn seems far from ideal, and surely not sustainable?”
Mayor Of London Sadiq Khan dubbed Boris Johnson’s term as “one of the most shameful sagas in the history of British politics”.
He added: “Boris Johnson has presided over a government defined by lies, sleaze, an utter lack of integrity, unlawful behaviour, incompetence, and a damaging culture of impunity in public office.”
This has been one of the most shameful sagas in the history of British politics.
Boris Johnson has presided over a government defined by lies, sleaze, an utter lack of integrity, unlawful behaviour, incompetence, and a damaging culture of impunity in public office.
— Sadiq Khan (@SadiqKhan) July 7, 2022
This is a developing story.
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