‘Sad to give up best job in the world’

Boris Johnson resigns as British prime minister, will remain in charge until a new leader is elected

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Thursday announced his decision to step down as the Conservative Party leader, saying he was sad to give up the best job in the world. “I want you to know how sad I am to be giving up the best job in the world,” Johnson said in an address to the nation outside 10 Downing Street - the official residence of the British Prime Minister. Johnson, 58, will remain in charge at 10 Downing Street until the process of electing a new leader is completed by the time of the Conservative Party conference, scheduled for October.

Not ‘remotely indispensable’

In his address, Johnson said that in politics, no one is “remotely indispensable”. He also promised to give the new leader as much support as he can. After days of battling for his job, Johnson was deserted by all but a handful of allies after the latest in a series of scandals broke their willingness to support him. “Of course, it is painful to not to be able to see through so many ideas and projects,” Johnson said at the door of Number 10 Downing Street. “But as we have seen at Westminster the herd instinct is powerful and when the herd moves, it moves.”

The move came after days of high drama and a steady stream of resignations from his Cabinet since Tuesday and just minutes after his newly appointed Chancellor to replace Rishi Sunak wrote a public letter calling for him to “go now”. Johnson thanked the British public “for the immense privilege you have given me”.

Contenders for the top job

UK Attorney General Suella Braverman, who chose not to resign from Cabinet saying her legal role made it incumbent upon her to carry on, had withdrawn her support from Johnson and threw her hat in the ring to take over as the next Conservative Party leader and future Prime Minister.

Others expected to join the race include Zahawi and Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, with former Chancellor Rishi Sunak and former Health Secretary Sajid Javid among some of the others seen as likely contenders. Indian-origin Home Secretary Priti Patel is also among the names touted along with UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace. Among the more junior members, Tory MPs Penny Mordaunt, Tom Tugendhat and former Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt are the names doing the rounds.

Tweet talk

Larry the Cat@Number10cat:
At least at the end Boris Johnson finally delivered a humble, coherent speech reflecting on his fail…Nah, course not. Absolutely deluded drivel. He thinks he’s the victim. If the Tories don’t get him out tonight they’re finished.

Kremlin: We don’t like him either
The Kremlin said on Thursday that Johnson didn’t like Russia and that Moscow didn’t like him either. Speaking during a call with reporters, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, “He (Johnson) doesn’t like us, we don’t like him either”. Peskov said reports that Johnson would resign as prime minister were of little concern for the Kremlin.

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