Wave of UK Government resignations will see Boris Johnson resign as PM imminently, British media report

UPDATE: Boris Johnson has officially resigned as Leader of the Conservative Party, and will remain serving as PM until a replacement is found. Click here to read more on the latest update

EARLIER:

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson will resign in the wake of several high profile Government resignations which include a revolt from his own Cabinet, rendering him unable to continue leading.

Boris Johnson, who served as Mayor of London from 2008 to 2016 and rose to further prominence as a leading campaigner for Brexit before leading the Conservative Party to electoral victory in December 2019, will be stepping aside in a matter of hours, major UK media outlets report.

When asked to comment, an OPM spokesperson for No. 10 Downing Street said:

“The Prime Minister will make a statement to the country today.”

The past 24 hours have been particularly dramatic in the UK political landscape, a comment not made lightly considering years of drama surrounding Brexit negotiations and COVID. Yesterday, two senior Cabinet ministers resigned, followed by several resignations across various Government ranks.

British media report that a group of senior ministers, including a chancellor he appointed less than a day before, visited the outgoing PM to tell him it was time to move on.

2022 has proven to be a particularly challenging year for Mr Johnson, with news of office parties during a COVID-related he himself instituted and criticism of his handling of Conservative MPs who faced allegations of abusive behaviour.