Following intense pressure and the resignation of 54 MPs over the past 48 hours, Boris Johnson is set to resign as prime minister.

Despite vowing to “fight on” just last night, the prime minister has spoken with the chairman of the 1922 Committee and agreed to stand down.

It is expected he will remain in post until a new Tory leader is in place by the party’s annual conference in October, the Independent reports.

At prime minister’s questions on Wednesday, Johnson had dismissed the widespread calls to quit from within his own party and the opposition, vowing to “hang on in there”.

However, on Wednesday night the PM was visited by a number of high-level cabinet members including Nadhim Zahawi and Priti Patel, who reportedly told him to do the right thing and go now.

On 5 July, chancellor Rishi Sunak and health secretary Sajid Javid quit within minutes of each other, spurred on by the prime minister’s handling of sexual misconduct allegations against Tory MP Chris Pincher.

Downing Street had maintained that Johnson was not aware of specific allegations against Pincher before a top civil servant confirmed that he was briefed “in person” about an allegation of inappropriate behaviour against the disgraced MP back in 2019.

The PM has since apologised for appointing Pincher as deputy chief whip, saying it “was a mistake” and “in hindsight the wrong thing to do”.

Nevertheless, it sparked a major walkout from within the cabinet and backbenches.

According to a Downing Street spokesperson, Johnson will make an official statement tendering his resignation to the country later today.

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