Boris Johnson resigned as British Prime Minister, paving the way for the selection of a new prime minister after dozens of ministers quit his scandal-hit government.

"It is clearly the will of the parliamentary Conservative party that there should be a new leader of that party, and therefore a new prime minister," Johnson said outside 10 Downing Street.

Johnson, 58, announced that he would step down after a slew of resignations from his top team in protest at his leadership but would stay on as prime minister until a replacement is found.

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The timetable for a Tory leadership race will be announced next week, he said, after three tumultuous years in office defined by Brexit, the Covid pandemic and non-stop controversy over his reputation for mendacity.

Chancellor Of Exchequer Rishi Sunak and Health Secretary Sajid Javid late Tuesday set off a chain of resignations. On Thursday, UK Education Minister Michelle Donelan resigned two days after in the office.

After days of battling for his job, Johnson had been abandoned by all but a handful of allies. It was far cry from when Johnson, 58, rose to power in 2019 when he won a large majority, capturing votes in parts of Britain that had never supported his Conservative Party before.

"I know that there will be many people who are relieved and perhaps quite a few who will also be disappointed. And I want you to know how sad I am to be giving up the best job in the world," Johnson said in a speech outside Downing Street. "But them's the breaks," Johnson said.