Boris Johnson is expected to resign his position as Conservative party leader today but stay on as Prime Minister until the fall, British media sources report. He is slated to make a statement in the early afternoon on Thursday.  Follow FRANCE 24’s live blog for all the latest developments. All times are Paris time, GMT+2.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has spoken to Queen Elizabeth as a courtesy ahead of an impending announcement about his resignation plan, ITV Deputy Political Editor Anushka Asthana said on Thursday.

Opposition Labour leader Keir Starmer called it “good news for the country” that Johnson was going to quit.

“But it should have happened long ago. He was always unfit for office. He has been responsible for lies, scandal and fraud on an industrial scale.”

“We don’t need to change the Tory at the top – we need a proper change of government,” Starmer said. “We need a fresh start for Britain.”

Weighing in from the Conservative party, Deputy Chairman Justin Tomlinson said “I was Team Boris, as the GE (general election) showed he was our star player who connected across traditional political divides. Yes there were ups and downs, but he turbo-charged social mobility and opportunity.

“His resignation was inevitable. As a Party we must quickly unite and focus on what matters. These are serious times on many fronts.”

First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon also weighed in via Twitter, questioning his continued presence as Prime Minister for the next three months. “There will be a widespread sense of relief that the chaos of the last few days (indeed months) will come to an end, though notion of Boris Johnson staying on as PM until autumn seems far from ideal, and surely not sustainable?”

Source: France 24