Brexit. Why do Brits want Out of the EU?

According to the BBB, Graham Brady, chair of the 1922 committee, is off to see Boris Johnson "to offer wise counsel."

The rules on replacing him will not change for now, but there will be speedy elections on Monday, and the new 1922 committee can make its own rules.

Apparently cabinet minister are in no. 10 asking him to resign. Either Johnson will or they will.

If Johnson stays it's down to the 1922 Commitee to change the rules.

There are now two contingents of cabinet minsters in the building to see Boris Johnson - loyalists who want him to stay and rebels who want him out. They are gathering in different parts of the building.

The collapse has been sudden. Johnson was already in the last chance saloon before Pincher's arse grabbing came to light.

It's the obvious lying, and getting ministers to lie on his behalf that did it.

Politicians don't usually deliberately lie, they evade the question, they twist and spin things to their advantage, and they run to certain narrow, or wide, interpretations.

Johnson lied, he did what he always does chooses the expeditious option, and not the right one.

He was caught out by a civil servant going on record with the truth, after getting ministers and press officers to lie on his behalf he had to admit his culpability.

I read that he was never popular with the bulk of the party, that when he became party leader there was a sense of having dealt with the Devil. Normally the leader would reach out to his MPs, but after winning such a huge majority he didn't bother.

Those who reluctantly voted for him didn't bank on this level of incompetence, the amount of unforced errors has been astounding. Every day there's another revelation or an admission. It's a farce.

It is now being widely reported that Boris Johnson is telling colleagues he will not quit.

Boris Johnson is still prime minister, but Brandon Lewis resigned as Northern Ireland secretary.

He's sacked Gove.

He will be dragged kicking and screaming from no. 10.

On Monday the 1922 Commitee will elect anew board who will change the rules allowing another no condfidence vote which Johnson will l8se.

It's a running joke that every time this happens Johnson gets on the phone or a plane to Ukraine in a desperate attempt to appear statesmanlike.

Pensions minister Guy Opperman has become the fifth minister to resign this morning.

Nadhim Zahawi was promoted from education secretary to chancellor only on Tuesday night (replacing Rishi Sunak who resigned), but now he urges Johnson on twitter to 'do the right thing and go now'.

Does he want the job, Walter?

The new education secretary Michelle Donelan quits, too, after less than 48 hours in office.

By 9 o'clock BST on Thursday, there are 27 resignations in total - five at cabinet level, and 22 at below cabinet level.

According to various media, Johnson has agreed to resign, but wants to stay on as PM until a new Tory leader has been elected by autumn. (Wallace, the defence secretary, is now publicly urging Tory MPs to vote out Boris Johnson.)

I couldn't be more happy to learn that an inside "coup" against "boring Boris" is on its merry way!
Finally that caricature of modern politics is going out!

But now, Johnson begins a cabinet reshuffle - ahead of resignation speech.

In his resignation speech, Johnson blamed the herd instinct of the Conservative Party for his demise. No attempt at self reflection for the problems but kind of his usual bla-bla.

And his own "greatest hits" revisited although only his supporters see it as that,

Bernd Lange, a German social democrat, who chairs the European parliament’s trade committee, summed up the view of many in the EU with
this tweet

Michel Barnier, who was the EU’s Brexit negotiator, says Boris Johnson’s resignation should open a “new page” in UK relations with the EU.