British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has agreed to resign, ending an unprecedented political crisis over his future. Johnson had rebuffed calls by his Cabinet to step down in the wake of ethics scandals.
He gave in after more than 50 ministers quit his government and told him to go and one of his closest allies, Treasury Chief Nadhim Zahawi, told the prime minister to resign for the good of the country.
Johnson said a timetable will be announced in the next week on when he will leave office. He delivered a brief statement from 10 Downing St.
“The herd instinct is powerful and when the herd moves, it moves," Johnson said.
Just a day earlier, Johnson gave a rebuke of those calling for his resignation.
"History teaches us that the best way to avoid pointless political disturbance is to allow a government that has a mandate to get on and deliver its mandate. That is what we're going to do," Johnson said.
"The country's going through tough times, and I think that we have the biggest, you know, you're making a point about duty, right?" Johnson added. "And I look at the issues that this country faces. I look at the pressures that people are under and the need for government to focus on their priorities, which is what we are doing. I look at the biggest war in Europe for 80 years and I cannot, for the life of me, see how it is responsible just to walk away from that."
But even his closest allies were firing back.
"We have reason to question the truth and integrity of what we've all been told. At some point, we have to conclude that enough is enough. I believe that point is now, said Sajid Javid, former British health secretary.
