UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson
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Boris Johnson
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced his resignation as Conservative party leader following a wave of government resignations.
In an announcement to the country on Thursday, Mr. Johnson confirmed that he will remain prime minister until his party selects a new leader - a process which should begin immediately.
He said a new cabinet will be appointed to serve until the new leader is in place.
In explaining his resistance to previous calls to resign, Mr. Johnson said it was difficult to step down when his government had been "delivering so much, when we have such a vast mandate and when we're actually only a handful of points behind in the polls".
He said it was "painful not to be able to see through so many ideas and projects myself" but he ultimately blamed what he called the powerful "herd instinct" at Westminster for his departure.
The Labour Party is against Mr. Johnson remaining Prime Minister and says it will bring a no confidence vote in Parliament.
Less than three years ago, Mr. Johnson won a historic landslide victory in a general election - but he has been dogged by controversy in recent months, including a fine for breaking his own lockdown laws.
The revolt this week was triggered by revelations about his handling of sexual misconduct allegations against former Deputy Chief Whip Chris Pincher.
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