UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson tendered his resignation on Thursday following the mass resignation of 59 MPs who said they had lost confidence in his leadership.

Johnson has been Prime Minister from July 2019 following his holding the position of London Mayor between 2008 and 2016.

The MPs publicly asked for him to step down to save what was left of the Conservative Party brand.

Addressing international media outside Number 10 Downing Street, Johnson said it was the will of Conservative Party MPs that there should be a new leader.

The 58-year-old leader had tried to cling on to power despite former Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak and former Health Secretary Sajid Javid quitting on Tuesday evening, and calling on the Prime Minister to follow suit.

It has been reported that Sunak’s predecessor Nadhim Zahaw wrote a public letter on Thursday to Johnson stating that “it was time to go”.

Johnson said he regretted not being successful in persuading his MPs to remain in government.

He thanked those who voted for the Conservatives, giving the party what he called an "incredible mandate".

“The reason I have fought so hard in the last few days was to continue to deliver that mandate in person, not just because I wanted to do so but because I thought it was my job, my duty, my obligation to continue what we promised in 2019,” said Johnson. 

He said, "In politics, no one is remotely indispensable" and he was hopeful that his successor would be equally committed to taking the country forward through tough times.

Outlining achievements during his reign, he mentioned the Brexit referendum, reviving UK relations across the European continent, leading through the pandemic, delivering on Covid-19 vaccines, rolling out the fastest exit from lockdown, as well as “leading the West” in standing up to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s aggression in Ukraine.

Johnson promised the people of Ukraine that the UK would continue to back their fight for freedom.