The Prime Minister has finally announced his resignation after a chaotic few days for the government.
Boris Johnson has agreed to stand down, a source within No 10 has said. A new Conservative Party leader is set to be in place by the party conference in October, they added.
It follows a morning where the Prime Minister took blow after blow to his authority. A steady stream of ministers lined up to hand in their own resignations, piling the pressure on Mr Johnson's already terminal position.
READ MORE LIVE: Boris Johnson agrees to resign - latest updates
This is how it all played out this morning:
7.22am
By 7.20am three more of the government's ministers had resigned. Security minister Damian Hinds, Helen Whately, the exchequer secretary to the Treasury, and Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis all called it quits.
In his letter to the Prime Minister, Mr Lewis says a "decent and responsible government relies on honesty, integrity and mutual respect - it is a matter of profound personal regret for me that I must leave government as I no longer believe those values are being upheld."
8.20am
James Cartlidge quits as courts minister and Chris Philip as technology minister. Philip says Boris Johnson should "step down given public and Parliamentary confidence has clearly gone."
8.53am
Education Secretary Michelle Donelan resigns. Donelan was only appointed on Tuesday evening to replace Nadim Zahawi after he was made chancellor.
In her resignation letter to the prime minister, she says: "Yesterday, I pleaded with you to do the right thing and resign for the sake of our country and our party, both are more important than any one person."
09.07am
Boris Johnson should “leave with dignity” and “go now”, Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi said as the Prime Minister’s refusal to quit triggered another wave of ministerial resignations.
Mr Zahawi, who was only appointed on Tuesday, said he had made clear privately to Mr Johnson that he should go but “I am heartbroken that he hasn’t listened and that he is now undermining the incredible achievements of this Government at this late hour”.
9.09am
Caroline Johnson resigns as vice chair of the Conservative Party. In her resignation letter, the Conservative MP for Sleaford & North Hykeham said she hadn't arrived at the decision "lightly" and it had been a "privilege" to serve in her position.
09.14am
The news breaks that Boris Johnson has spoken to Tory 1922 Committee chairman Sir Graham Brady and agreed to stand down. A new Tory leader set to be in place by the party conference in October, a No 10 source said.
09.25am
A Number 10 spokesman said the PM will make a statement to the country today, with reports saying that will be before lunchtime.
09.30am
The pound was trading higher on the news of Mr Johnson’s resignation. It was up 0.6% at 1.198 US dollars and 0.4% stronger at 1.174 euros.
09.35am
George Freeman, who resigned as science minister on Thursday morning, said Boris Johnson must apologise to the Queen and advise her to call for a caretaker prime minister,
09.40am
Environment minister Rebecca Pow has become the latest minister to resign from the Government.
She tweeted: “Earlier this morning I tendered my resignation as Environment Minister. Values, integrity and the morals by which I live are at stake, and the needs of the country must always come first.”
And resigning as deputy chairman of the Conservative Party, Luke Hall said he felt “there is no choice”.
In a letter to the Prime Minister written before it was announced Mr Johnson had agreed to step down, Mr Hall said: “I have taken the view that there must be parliamentary oversight of the inevitable leadership contest.
“However there are others who can provide that. The current situation is clearly untenable.”
09.42am
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer welcomed the news that his opposite number was resigning.
Sir Keir Starmer said it is “good news” that Boris Johnson is resigning, but the Labour leader added: “We don’t need to change the Tory at the top – we need a proper change of government.”
He said: “The Tory Party has inflicted chaos upon the country during the worst cost-of-living crisis in decades. And they cannot now pretend they are the ones to sort it out.
“They have been in power for 12 years. The damage they have done is profound.
“Twelve years of economic stagnation. Twelve years of declining public services. Twelve years of empty promises.
“Enough is enough. We don’t need to change the Tory at the top – we need a proper change of government.
“We need a fresh start for Britain.”
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