By Stephen Fidler

LONDON--Boris Johnson said Thursday that he will step down as British prime minister, following a wide-scale rebellion in his party, capping an astonishing fall from grace for a politician who once looked poised to dominate U.K. politics for years.

Flanked by remaining members of his cabinet, his wife and senior officials outside Downing Street, Mr. Johnson was unapologetic and didn't refer to the scandals that brought him down. "I want you to know how sad I am at giving up the best job in the world. But them's the breaks," he said.

The step bookends an extraordinary 36 hours in British politics in which more than 50 ministers and senior government aides resigned, leaving the British government in a state of paralysis. Mr. Johnson said he will appoint a new cabinet as he stays in office until a successor has been found, a process that could take some months.

Write to Stephen Fidler at stephen.fidler@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

July 07, 2022 08:01 ET (12:01 GMT)