Boris Johnson Quits After Dozens of Ministers Resign from Scandal-hit Tory Cabinet

London: Hit by the resignation spree of dozens of ministers from his cabinet, Boris Johnson resigned as leader of Britain's Conservative party on Thursday. Boris' exit from 10 Downing Street after three tumultuous years in charge, will pave the way for the selection of a new prime minister. 

“Today I have appointed a cabinet to serve, as I will, until a new leader is in place,” Johnson said outside 10 Downing Street. 

“I know that there will be many people who are relieved and perhaps quite a few who will also be disappointed. And I want you to know how sad I am to be giving up the best job in the world. But them's the breaks,” Johnson said in his parting speech. 

VIDEO: "It is painful not to be able to see through so many ideas and projects myself," Boris Johnson says outside Downing Street as he resigns as leader of the Conservative party. pic.twitter.com/KvLEUTGZIR

— AFP News Agency (@AFP) July 7, 2022

58-year-old Johnson announced that he would step down after dozens of ministers quit his scandal-hit government. He would stay on as prime minister until a replacement is found.

Johnson succumbed to political pressure on Thursday morning after two more members of his Cabinet quit and one of his closest allies, Treasury Chief Nadhim Zahawi, publicly told him to resign for the good of the country. 

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The departure of cabinet big hitters Rishi Sunak as finance minister and Sajid Javid as health secretary on Tuesday weakened the beleaguered prime minister just as he needed allies the most. The Conservative party will likely find a replacement for Johnson by the party's annual conference in early October, the BBC reported. 

Three years ago, Johnson took over from Theresa May in an internal Tory leadership contest. He was  elected head of the Conservative party in July 2019 after a landslide victory over foreign minister Jeremy Hunt. Johnson was appointed prime minister by Queen Elizabeth II, promising a swift exit from the European Union.