Boris Johnson will quit today after his new Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi told him to go and another eight ministers walked out demanding he accepts reality. MailOnline has more.
The PM has admitted defeat half-an-hour after a shattering intervention from Nadhim Zahawi, who was only appointed on Tuesday night in the wake of Rishi Sunak’s departure. He told Mr. Johnson that his situation is “not sustainable”.
A No. 10 source said Mr Johnson has spoken to Tory 1922 Committee chairman Sir Graham Brady and agreed to stand down, with a new Tory leader set to be in place by the party conference in October.
Boris Johnson is on the verge of quitting after his new Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi told him to go and another eight ministers walked out demanding he accepts reality.
A spokeswoman said: “The Prime Minister will make a statement to the country today.”
Although he stopped short of resigning, Mr Zahawi appears to have struck the killer blow with his public call for Mr Johnson to give in. He tweeted: “Prime Minister: this is not sustainable and it will only get worse: for you, for the Conservative Party and most importantly of all the country. You must do the right thing and go now.'”
Education Secretary Michelle Donelan, who was installed in post at the same time as Mr. Zahawi, also declared she is quitting, barely two hours after Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis fell on his sword.
Up to then the PM had vowed defiance despite the overwhelming evidence of his authority draining away.
However, it is far from clear that Mr. Johnson staying on until October – more than two months – will be acceptable to Tory MPs. More than 50 Government members have resigned, and there will be questions over whether they can simply be reappointed, or would even agree to that.
George Freeman, who announced he was resigning as science minister this morning, said Mr. Johnson must apologise to the Queen and advise her to call for a caretaker PM.
“Boris Johnson needs to hand in the seals of office, apologise to Her Majesty and advise her to call for a caretaker Prime Minister,” he said.
“To take over today so that ministers can get back to work and we can choose a new Conservative leader to try and repair the damage and rebuild trust.”
At 6.47am, Mr. Lewis tweeted that he could no longer continue without “honesty, integrity and mutual respect”.
Minutes later Treasury minister Helen Whately followed suit saying “there are only so many times you can apologise and move on”.
Security minister Damian Hinds and science minister George Freeman had followed by 7.30am, and pensions minister Guy Opperman by 7.50am.
Meanwhile, Wales minister David T.C. Davies publicly announced that he had refused a promotion to take over from Welsh Secretary Simon Hart, who quit last night. The Attorney General, Suella Braverman has called for Mr. Johnson to resign and said she is only staying in place to keep the Government functioning.
With the resignation tally now standing well over 50, the Government has been unable to find a minister willing to go on the airwaves to speak up for the PM this morning – with total silence coming from his team.
The Chief Whip Chris Heaton-Harris was seen going into Downing Street early, after the lights were seen on in the PM’s flat deep into the night.
With the once-popular, charismatic leader felled, will the Tories repeat history by installing a dull, largely competent but electorally disastrous new John Major, or will they manage to find a leader who can unite the party and win elections with a focused, clear-sighted, genuinely conservative administration? Even writing that makes it seem unlikely.
Read Toby’s tribute (of sorts) to the man he first met at Oxford 40 years ago here.
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