Boris Johnson resigns latest– live: Tom Tugendhat launches leadership bid after PM quits

A Ukrainian politician has said that people in Ukraine are “concerned” after Boris Johnson’s resignation as Tory leader on Thursday.

Deputy leader of the Holos Party, Inna Sovsun, told the PA news agency: “Over in Ukraine people are very much concerned.

“I understand that there are different assessments of Boris Johnson himself and people look at him very differently, but we in Ukraine, now, look at different western politicians from a single standpoint: the level of support to Ukraine.”

“We don’t have the luxury to debate anything else, except for that. And in that sense, Boris Johnson has, of course, been a great friend to Ukraine.”

“He was really driving the support, the political support, for the country. He was very outspoken, he was always on Ukraine’s side.”

“We are very much worried if this policy of the UK government will continue.”

The UK has provided weapons and training to Ukraine, with military and financial aid stepping up after Russia’s invasion on 24 February.

Mr Johnson, who most recently visited Kyiv last month, has spoken to Volodymyr Zelensky and described the Ukrainian leader as a “hero” since he resigned as the Conservative leader.

Mr Zelensky is said to have thanked Mr Johnson for his “decisive action” to help Ukraine following the Russian invasion.

Meanwhile, Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Mr Zelensky, tweeted his thanks to Mr Johnson, saying he had “always been at the forefront of supporting Ukraine”.

It’s difficult to argue with Sir John Major’s judgement that Boris Johnson’s plan to remain prime minister until the autumn is unsustainable, writes our political editor Andrew Woodcock.

Contrary to Johnson’s claim over recent days, he does not owe his position as PM to a “mandate” from the 14 million people who voted Tory in 2019. Those votes were for individual MPs, part of whose job as representatives of their constituents in parliament is to choose a prime minister.

All of Britain will be watching as the race to replace Boris Johnson as prime minister gets underway but only the Conservative party’s membership of 200,000 people has the ultimate say in who is next to lead the country, writes my colleague Liam James.

Mr Johnson was the third Tory leader to be crowned by members since they were given a say in the matter back in the 2000s – it was previously up to party MPs alone. But while all manner of details about MPs are on the public record, relatively little is known about the more populous Tory electorate.

The starting gun has fired in the contest to replace Boris Johnson in No 10, but there is no obvious front-runner.

Mr Johnson will remain as prime minister until a successor is in place, expected to be by the time of the Conservative Party conference in October.

Here are some of the potential contenders to be the new Tory leader, in alphabetical order:

Conservative MP Will Quince has agreed to return to his old job as children’s minister only one day after resigning in protest at having to defend Boris Johnson over the Chris Pincher scandal:

Read the full story here by Adam Forrest

The United States will continue its “close co-operation” with the UK in the wake of Boris Johnson’s resignation, president Joe Biden said.

In a brief statement, Mr Biden did not mention Mr Johnson by name or refer to his resignation.

But he said his administration would continue to work with the UK government alongside other allies and partners.

“The United Kingdom and the United States are the closest of friends and allies, and the special relationship between our people remains strong and enduring,” Mr Biden said in the statement reported by the ABC network.

“I look forward to continuing our close co-operation with the government of the United Kingdom, as well as our allies and partners around the world, on a range of important priorities.

“That includes maintaining a strong and united approach to supporting the people of Ukraine as they defend themselves against Putin’s brutal war on their democracy, and holding Russia accountable for its actions.”

Several MPs who attended the Spectator summer party on Thursday night refused to comment on Boris Johnson’s resignation as prime minister.

Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi, education secretary James Cleverly, former levelling up secretary Michael Gove – who Mr Johnson sacked on Wednesday – and Cop26 president Alok Sharma ignored reporters when they were asked who the future leader of the Conservatives could be and what they thought about the PM.

Mr Johnson’s sister, journalist Rachel Johnson, also declined to comment as she left the party.

Former health secretary Matt Hancock has said he will not be running in the Conservative leadership election.

He was speaking outside of Spectator magazine’s summer party, where he went outside to meet his partner Gina Coladangelo before heading back in.

At the party, he said Boris Johnson was “of course” the right person to lead the country over the next few months.

He told journalists: “No, I’m not going to stand, but I care deeply that it’s somebody who will deliver for people, and will really make sure that the Conservative Party is there to get through difficult times.”

Boris Johnson’s resignation has sparked questions as to where his career will go as he awaits the election of a new Tory leader to replace him as prime minister.

But in the unlikely event that he runs out of ideas for his next moves, he can draw some inspiration from his predecessors’ post-Downing Street careers.

You can check out my compilation of what former PMs have done after leaving Downing Street here:

Pictures from behind the scenes at Downing Street show Boris Johnson surrounded by his family and supporters soon after he announced his resignation to the public.

Cabinet ministers Jacob Rees-Mogg and Nadine Dorries were among those to welcome the PM back into No 10 after he finished his speech at a lectern outside – while protesters on Whitehall booed.

Pictures show Mr Johnson embracing his wife Carrie, who has their daughter Romy strapped to her front in a baby carrier, and him hugging their son Wilfred – who has inherited his father’s tousled blonde hair.