Boris Johnson resigns as leader of the Conservative party but will remain prime minister until Autumn

Prime Minister Boris Johnson leaves No.10 Downing Street the day before his resignation.

Boris Johnson has resigned as leader of the Conservative party after ministers and MPs made clear his position was untenable.

He will remain as Prime Minister until a successor is in place, expected to be by the time of the Conservative Party conference in October.

But many of his critics say he needs to go today, including his former advisor Dominic Cummings, who said deputy prime minister should be interim prime minister by the end of the day.

He tweeted: “Evict today or he’ll cause carnage, even now he’s playing for time and will try to stay.”

Evict TODAY or he'll cause CARNAGE, even now he's playing for time & will try to stay

No 'dignity', no 'interim while leadership contest'.

Raab shd be interim PM by evening

— Dominic Cummings (@Dominic2306) July 7, 2022

A No 10 source said Mr Johnson spoke to Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the Conservative 1922 Committee, to inform him of his decision.

“The Prime Minister has spoken to Graham Brady and agreed to stand down in time for a new leader to be in place by the conference in October,” a No 10 source said.

Mr Johnson will make a statement later today confirming the decision.

The resignation comes after the Prime Minister haemorrhaged support among his ministers and MPs.

More than 50 MPs have resigned from government or party roles since Tuesday night, when the mass exodus was triggered by the resignations of Rishi Sunak and Sajid Javid from the Cabinet.

The Prime Minister had sought to defy his critics and carry on in office, despite warnings from Cabinet colleagues that this was not sustainable.

Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi poses for a photograph outside the HM Treasury in Westminster, following his appointment after Rishi Sunak resigned from the post on Tuesday. (Pic: PA Wire)

But resignations continued and Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi – who was only appointed to the role on Tuesday – went public with his call for the Prime Minister to quit.

The timetable for the Tory leadership contest will be agreed between the 1922 Committee, which runs the parliamentary proceedings to whittle the candidates down to two, and Conservative headquarters.

Nicola Sturgeon, Keir Starmer and others react to Boris Johnson resignation

But critics of the Prime Minister suggested he should not be allowed to remain in office until the autumn.

George Freeman, who quit as science minister on Thursday morning, said that now Mr Johnson had “finally done the decent thing” he should “hand in the seals of office, apologise to Her Majesty, allow her to appoint a caretaker under whom ministers can serve, so the Conservative Party can choose a new leader properly”.