Boris Johnson is to stand down as Conservative Party leader, but intends to carry on as prime minister until the autumn.
He is set to appoint new ministers to replace those who quit in protest at his leadership.
He intends to stay in Downing Street until a new Tory leader has been elected to replace him.
But some Tory MPs are urging him to leave as soon as possible to avoid government paralysis.
It follows a dramatic 48 hours which saw dozens of ministers – including chancellor Rishi Sunak – resigning in protest at his leadership.
Mr Sunak’s replacement as chancellor Nahim Zahawi was among the ministers urging the PM to quit.
Mr Johnson resisted the calls until Thursday morning, when it became clear that he had lost the confidence of his MPs and that the government could no longer function.
Attorney General Suella Braverman and leading backbencher Steve Baker are the first Tory MPs to declare a leadership bid, with others expected to follow.
Less than three years ago, Mr Johnson won an historic landslide victory in a general election – but he has been dogged by controversy in recent months, including a fine for breaking his own lockdown laws.
The revolt this week was triggered by revelations about the prime minister’s handling of sexual misconduct allegations against former Deputy Chief Whip Chris Pincher.
Source: BBC News
