UK PM Boris Johnson agrees to step down: Reports

Johnson had been abandoned by all but a few supporters after days of fighting for his position. It was a far cry from when Johnson, 58, came to office in 2019 with a big majority, gaining votes in sections of the country that had never before backed his Conservative Party.

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London, First Published Jul 7, 2022, 2:15 PM IST | Last Updated Jul 7, 2022, 2:15 PM IST

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is all set to resign on Thursday, according to media reports, after being abandoned by newly appointed ministers and more than 50 others in a mutiny that had brought the government perilously near to paralysis. With eight ministers quitting in the previous two hours, including two secretary of state, an isolated and weak Johnson was expected to accept the inevitable and announce his resignation later, according to media sources.

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Even his finance minister, Nadhim Zahawi, who was only appointed on Wednesday, has demanded that his boss quit. "This is not sustainable, and it will only grow worse: for you, for the Conservative Party, and, most importantly, for the entire country," he tweeted. He further said, "You must do the right thing and leave right now."

Michelle Donelan, the UK education minister who was just appointed two days ago amid a government exodus, resigned on Thursday, claiming Prime Minister Boris Johnson had put her in a "impossible situation." "I am truly unhappy that it has come to this," she said in a Twitter message. "But as someone who values honesty above all else, I have no option," she added.

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