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As it happened: Boris Johnson resigns

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Updates from the day when Mr Johnson quit as Tory leader, but pledged to stay on as PM until his successor is elected

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Johnson staying boosts Putin, says York MP

Boris Johnson and Rachael Maskell in the Commons. Photograph: Screengrab

York Central MP Rachael Maskell has given her reaction to Boris Johnson’s decision to resign as Conservative Party leader while staying on for now as Prime Minister.

The Labour MP says he should quit as PM immediately – partly because him staying discredits war-torn Ukraine. She told David Dunning on YorkMix Radio :

The reason he needs to leave is not just about who deals with the crises as they arise, whether it’s the economic or social crisis we’re seeing across the country, but on a global scale.

We’re living in a troubled world at the moment. With his reputation so damaged, the fact that he’s standing with Zelensky [Volodymyr Zelensky, president of Ukraine] is giving Putin a passport in order to exploit and discredit Zelensky.

So on that world stage, the Prime Minister needs insight into the impact that him remaining in office is going to have.

‘Thanks Boris Johnson’, says an adviser to Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky

Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to the Office of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, tweeted: “To be a leader – to call Russian evil an evil and to take responsibility in the hardest times. To be a leader – to be the first to arrive in Kyiv, despite missile attacks.

“Thanks Boris Johnson for realising the threat of Russian monster and always being at the forefront of supporting Ukraine.”

In a video posted with the tweet, he spoke to the camera and added: “Today we have everything we need for the effective defence of the country: weapons, partnership and coalition, and thanks to Mr Johnson, we understand that victory is a real symbol of the future in Ukraine … we are extremely grateful to our partners, Mr Johnson, for the opportunity to do our work effectively.”

Johnson: ‘I was pushed out by the herd instinct’

Photograph: James Manning / PA wire

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.”

‘Them’s the breaks… no one is remotely indispensable’

Boris Johnson delivers his resignation speech outside 10 Downing Street. Photograph: James Manning / PA wire

Mr Johnson told the British public: “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 acknowledged that “in politics, no one is remotely indispensable” as he announced his resignation as Tory leader.

He had tried to persuade his Cabinet it would be “eccentric” to change Prime Minister now but “I regret not to have been successful in those arguments”.

The outgoing Prime Minister said he was “immensely proud of the achievements of this Government”, from getting Brexit done to getting the UK through the pandemic, and leading the West in standing up to Putin’s aggression in Ukraine.

Johnson: ‘I wanted to stay’

Boris Johnson said he sought to stay Prime Minister because he felt it was his “obligation” to continue to do what the Tories promised in 2019.

“I want to say to the millions of people who voted for us in 2019, many of them voting Conservative for the first time, thank you for that incredible mandate, the biggest Conservative majority since 1987, the biggest share of the vote since 1979.

“And the reason I have fought so hard in the last few days to continue to deliver that mandate in person was not just because I wanted to do so, but because I felt it was my job, my duty, my obligation to you to continue to do what we promised in 2019.

“And of course, I’m immensely proud of the achievements of this Government.”

Boris Johnson: ‘I will serve as PM until a new Tory leader is in place’

Boris Johnson addresses the British people. Photograph: Screengrab

Boris Johnson is addressing the nation.

He 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.”