A slightly bitter-sounding Boris has told the country he accepts the “herd instinct” of Westminster and will go when “a new leader is in place”. He says he regrets losing the argument with colleagues that it would be wrong to change leader given the economy, Ukraine and the Tories only being a few points behind in the polls. We got a classic Boris-ism of “them’s the breaks”. He thanked his family, the civil service, staff in Downing Street and Chequers.

“I want you to know how sad I am to be giving up the best job in the world”

He begins the process of persuading Tory members that it was nasty MPs who kicked him out…