UK: Boris Johnson to resign as UK prime minister

United Kingdom prime minister, Boris Johnson, will resign on today (Thursday) following pressure from members of his government.

Some ministers have resigned from the government, citing a loss of trust in Johnson.

The resignations followed the latest scandal to engulf Johnson’s government, his handling of the concerns raised over Chris Pincher, deputy chief whip, over allegations of sexual misconduct.

Minister for children and families, Will Quince; Minister of state for school standards, Robin Walker, and Treasury John Glen, resigned their positions on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, UK secretary of state for health and social care, Sajid Javid, and UK treasury chief, Rishi Sunak, resigned from the cabinet.

Earlier in the year, Johnson appointed Pincher — who has now resigned over claims that he groped two men at a private members’ club — as the deputy chief whip, despite the allegations.

Although Johnson had apologised for backing Pincher, he vowed to fight on.

“The job of a prime minister in difficult circumstances, when he has been handed a colossal mandate, is to keep going, and that’s what I’m going to do,” he had said.

Several UK cabinet ministers reportedly gathered on Wednesday at the office of prime minister to ask him to resign.