Boris confirms resignation in statement outside Downing Street
The Prime Minister says he will stay in place until a new leader is in place
Last updated 7th Jul 2022
Boris Johnson has given a statement confirming he will stand down after sources this morning said he is going to step down as Leader of the Conservative Party and as Prime Minister.
The Prime Minister confirmed he had spoken to Graham Brady, Chair of the 1922 committee earlier today and would step down as the leader of the Conservatives and therefore step down as Prime Minister.
Boris Johnson said a leadership contest would begin soon with a timetable set out next week, although he said he would stay on as leader until a new one is appointed.
"Them's the breaks"
“In politics, no one is remotely indispensable,” Mr Johnson acknowledged in a statement delivered from a lectern in Downing Street.
“I want you to know how sad I am to be giving up the best job in the world, but them’s the breaks,” he said.
You can watch the statement here:
Boris Johnson said it is “clearly now the will” of the parliamentary Conservative Party that there should be a new leader.
Announcing his resignation in Downing Street, he said: “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.
“And I’ve agreed with Sir Graham Brady, the chairman of our backbench MPs, that the process of choosing that new leader should begin now and the timetable will be announced next week.
“And I’ve today appointed a Cabinet to serve, as I will, until a new leader is in place.”
"When the herd moves, it moves quickly"
Boris Johnson said his arguments to stay in power were rejected due to a “herd instinct” at Westminster and said it was “painful” not to be able to deliver on his plans.
He said: “In the last few days, I tried to persuade my colleagues that it would be eccentric to change governments when we’re delivering so much and when we have such a vast mandate and when we’re actually only a handful of points behind in the polls, even in midterm after quite a few months of pretty relentless sledging and when the economic scene is so difficult domestically and internationally.
“I regret not to have been successful in those arguments and of course it’s painful not to be able to see through so many ideas and projects myself.
“But as we’ve seen, at Westminster the herd instinct is powerful, when the herd moves, it moves.
“And my friends in politics, no one is remotely indispensable and our brilliant and Darwinian system will produce another leader, equally committed to taking this country forward through tough times.”
Mr Johnson's decision to step down comes off the back of more than 50 MPs quitting government and many more calling on him to resign.
Who might replace Boris Johnson?
Liz Truss - Winner
The Foreign Secretary has made little secret of her leadership ambitions, with a series of high-profile interventions and photo opportunities in which she appeared to be channelling late PM Margaret Thatcher.
Her hard line on Ukraine, insisting Russian forces must be driven from the country, and threats to tear up the Northern Ireland Protocol with the EU, play well with sections of the party.
Away from politics, Ms Truss's flair for social media has seen her offer an insight into life outside of Westminster by updating her Instagram account with pictures of her relaxing at the beach, or behind the scenes at official events, though her passions combined to bizarre effect in 2014 when her improbably enthusiastic speech about opening pork markets in Beijing went viral.
Rishi Sunak - Defeated in the final two
The former Chancellor's rise from relative obscurity to household name came as he turned on the spending taps to protect jobs through the furlough scheme when the coronavirus pandemic struck.
But his stock took a tumble more recently following disclosures that his wife had non-dom status for tax purposes, and that he was too slow to respond to the cost-of-living crisis
Penny Mordaunt - Eliminated
Ms Mordaunt made waves in 2019 as the UK's first female defence secretary before being fired by Mr Johnson shortly after becoming PM.
Ms Mordaunt has many strings to her bow - she is a Royal Navy reservist, the current trade minister and a former reality television contestant, having appeared on the Tom Daley-fronted diving show Splash.
She played a prominent role in the Leave campaign in the 2016 Brexit referendum, and has previously reportedly enjoyed the backing of Dame Andrea Leadsom among others.
Kemi Badenoch - Eliminated
Former equalities minister and MP for Saffron Walden Kemi Badenoch threw her hat into the ring with a plan for a smaller state and a government "focused on the essentials".
Ms Badenoch said she will deliver tax cuts "to boost growth and productivity and accompanied by tight spending discipline". Ms Badenoch may be considered an outsider for the leadership given the Tory grandees already in the running, but her profile was boosted by an endorsement from Michael Gove on Sunday.
Tom Tugendhat - Eliminated
Eliminated. The Commons Foreign Affairs Committee chairman Tom Tugendhat became the first contender to officially throw his hat in the ring, saying he was putting together a "broad coalition" offering a "clean start".
Writing in The Daily Telegraph, the former soldier said: "I have served before – in the military, and now in Parliament. Now I hope to answer the call once again as prime minister."
Suella Braverman - Eliminated
Attorney General Suella Braverman was one of the first to openly say that she would stand in a leadership contest as she called for the Prime Minister to quit.
Jeremy Hunt - Eliminated
Failed to secure enough MP votes in the first round.
The former foreign secretary and ex-health secretary has been a persistent backbench critic of Mr Johnson and had called on the Prime Minister to quit.
Mr Hunt is making a fresh bid for the leadership, having been runner-up to Mr Johnson in 2019.
Nadhim Zahawi - Eliminated
Failed to secure enough MP votes in the first round.
The former education secretary is regarded by some as a "safe pair of hands" if other candidates prove too divisive
Iraqi-born Mr Zahawi was a successful businessman and came to wider prominence as vaccines minister during the pandemic where he was credited with playing a key part in the successful rollout of the jab.
Sajid Javid - Withdrawn
Sajid Javid pulled out of the race to succeed Boris Johnson as Tory leader moments before the official nominations were revealed. In a statement, the former health secretary said: "Serving in Government is a true privilege. It has been just seven days since I took the difficult decision to resign from the most important job I have ever had, as health secretary during a pandemic.
"Since then, I have set out the values and policies I think are right for the future of our great country. I believe the party must now look outwards, not inwards, if we are to win again.
"There is an abundance of both ideas and talent in our party. One of the candidates will be given the honour of becoming Prime Minister.
Rehman Chishti - Withdrawn
The newly appointed Foreign Office minister announced his bid for the top job via a Facebook post but withdrew from the race tweeting "I will not be taking my campaign any further for the leadership of our party as I have not been able to secure the necessary parliamentary backing".
Grant Shapps - Withdrawn from contest
The Transport Secretary had put himself forward as a leadership candidate, but withdrew from the contest after it was announced that candidates would need 20 MPs to back their nomination.
In a tweet, he said he was now supporting former chancellor Rishi Sunak: "Amongst a field of brilliant candidates, I've spoken to Rishi Sunak who I believe has the competence and experience to lead this country."
Steve Baker - Not running
Prominent Brexiteer and former minister Steve Baker, a senior Tory backbencher had said he was considering running for the position, but eventually dropped out of the leadership race and announced he will support Suella Braverman.
Ben Wallace - Not running
The Defence Secretary was an early favourite for the leadership but ruled himself out on Saturday.
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