Boris Johnson stepped down as leader of the Conservative Party on Thursday, making way for a new prime minister, following an avalanche of resignations by members of his party that eroded his authority and paralyzed the British government.
Speaking to a crowd of supporters and onlookers at the lectern outside 10 Downing Street, Johnson said, “It is clearly now the will of the parliamentary Conservative Party that there should be a new leader of that party and therefore a new prime minister.”
Johnson did not become emotional, nor did he apologize for the behavior that brought the 58-year-old politician to this low point.
Instead, he blamed his party for his downfall, comparing his fellow lawmakers to stampeding animals. “As we have seen at Westminster … when the herd moves, it moves. And my friends, in politics, no one is remotely indispensable,” Johnson said.
Live updates: Boris Johnson expected to resign as U.K. prime minister
There will be no general election. Instead, the next leader of Britain will be chosen in a vote by dues paying members of the Conservative Party, which will remain in power. Johnson said he would serve until a new leader is in place, which could take six weeks or longer. He appointed a new Cabinet of officials to replace all the ministers who had abandoned him.
