UK PM Boris Johnson to resign: Reports
Move comes after pressure from ministers, party members to quit
London: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has agreed to resign, ending unprecedented stalemate, British media has reported.
Johnson had rebuffed calls by his Cabinet to step down in the wake of ethics scandals. He gave in after more than 40 ministers quit his government and told him to go.
It was not immediately clear Thursday whether Johnson would stay in office while the Conservative Party chooses a new leader, who will replace him as prime minister.
Earlier, British Treasury chief Nadhim Zahawi called on Prime Minister Boris Johnson to resign Thursday, just 36 hours after Johnson put him in the job, while another newly appointed Cabinet minister quit her post.
Zahawi said Johnson knew "the right thing to do" was to "go now."
Zahawi was appointed late Tuesday to replace Rishi Sunak, who resigned saying he could no longer support Johnson after a series of ethics scandals.
Education Secretary Michelle Donelan, who was also appointed on Tuesday following the resignation of her predecessor, announced her resignation Thursday morning.
Johnson had rejected clamours for his resignation, digging in his heels even as dozens of officials quit and previously loyal allies urge him to go after yet another scandal engulfed his leadership.
A group of Johnson's most trusted Cabinet ministers visited him at his office in Downing Street Wednesday, telling him to stand down after losing the trust of his party. But Johnson instead opted to fight for his political career and fired one of the Cabinet officials, Michael Gove, British media reported.
As of early Thursday, five Cabinet ministers had quit, including on Thursday Donelan and Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis who told Johnson in his resignation letter that "we are ... past the point of no return. I cannot sacrifice my personal integrity to defend things as they stand now.''
Some 40 junior government officials also left amid a furore over Johnson's handling of sexual misconduct allegations against a senior official that was the latest in a long line of issues that have made Conservative lawmakers uncomfortable.