Live: ‘It’s time for politics to be over, folks’ says Boris Johnson

8.08am

Emphasising his record in office, Boris Johnson said: “We Conservatives understand the vital symmetry between government action and free market capitalist private sector enterprise.

“We’re delivering on those huge manifesto commitments: making streets safer, neighbourhood crime down 38% in the last three years, 13,790 more police on the streets, building more hospitals, and yes, we will have 50,000 more nurses by the end of the decade and 40 more hospitals by the end – 50,000 nurses by the end of this Parliament I should say – 40 new hospitals by the end of the decade.

“Putting record funding into our schools and into teachers’ pay, giving everybody over 18 a lifetime skills guarantee, so they can keep upskilling throughout their lives, three new high speed rail lines – three – including Northern Powerhouse Rail, colossal road programmes from the Pennines to Cornwall.

“The rollout of gigabit broadband up over the last three years, I’m proud to say, since you were kind enough to elect me, from 7% of our country’s premises having gigabit broadband to 70% today.

“And we are, of course, providing the short and the long-term solutions for our energy needs, and not just using more of our own domestic hydrocarbons, but going up by 2030 to 50 gigawatts of wind power. That is half of this country’s energy and electricity needs from offshore wind alone, a new nuclear reactor every year.”

8am

Boris Johnson has said he believes the UK union is “so strong” that people wishing to break it up will “never, ever succeed”.

He said: “I’m proud to have discharged the promises I made to my party when you were kind enough to choose me, winning the biggest majority since 1987, the biggest share of the vote since 1979.

“Delivering Brexit, delivering our manifesto commitments, including, by the way … social care, reforming social care, helping people up and down the country, ensuring that Britain is once again standing tall in the world.

“Speaking with clarity and authority, from Ukraine to the Aukus pact with America and Australia, because we are one whole and entire United Kingdom, whose diplomat security services and armed forces are so globally admired.

“And by the way… as I leave, I believe our union is so strong that those who want to break it up, they’ll keep trying, but they will never, ever succeed.”

7.58am

During his speech, Mr Johnson told his Tory colleagues “it’s time for politics to be over, folks”.

He said: “This is a tough time for the economy. This is a tough time for families up and down the country.

“We can and we will get through it, and we will come out stronger the other side.

“But I say to my fellow Conservatives, it’s time for politics to be over, folks.

“It’s time for us all to get behind Liz Truss and her team, and her programme, and deliver for the people of this country. Because that is what the people of this country want. That’s what they need. And that’s what they deserve.”

7.55am

Shadow foreign secretary David Lammy said Mr Johnson was listing “imaginary achievements” in his resignation speech, describing him as “the worst Prime Minister of the modern era”.

7.52am

7.50am

The outgoing Prime Minister’s final words were address to the British public: “Above all, thanks to you, to the British people, to the voters, for giving me the chance to serve, all of you who worked so tirelessly together to beat Covid, to put us where we are today.

“Together, we have laid foundations that will stand the test of time, whether by taking back control of our laws or putting in vital new infrastructure, great solid masonry on which we will continue to build together, paving the path of prosperity now and for future generations.

“I will be supporting Liz Truss and the new government every step of the way.”

7.50am

Boris Johnson said if his dog Dilyn and Larry the Downing Street cat can “put behind them their occasional difficulties”, then so can the Tory party.

He said: “Thank you everybody who’s helped look after me and my family over the last three years, including Dilyn the dog.

“I just say to my party if Dilyn and Larry can put behind them their occasional difficulties, then so can the Conservative Party.

7.48am

Boris Johnson emphasised the early delivery of weapons to Ukraine and the economic support offered to the public, saying his successor would “get people through this crisis”.

He said the “early supplies of weapons to the heroic Ukrainian Armed Forces” may “very well have helped change the course of the biggest European war of 80 years”.

He praised his Government for getting “this economy moving again from July last year despite all the opposition”, saying it meant that “we have and will continue to have that economic strength to give people the cash they need to get through this energy crisis that has been caused by Putin’s vicious war”.

Mr Johnson also said: “I know that Liz Truss and this compassionate Conservative government will do everything we can to get people through this crisis and this country will endure it.

“And if Putin thinks that he can succeed by blackmailing or bullying the British people, then he is utterly deluded.”

7.45am

7.42am

Mr Johnson celebrated the success of the vaccines rollout as he delivered his final speech from No 10 as Prime Minister.

He said: “Through that lacquered black door, a new prime minister will shortly go to meet a fantastic group of public servants.

“The people who got Brexit done. The people who delivered the fastest vaccine rollout in Europe, and never forget 70% of the entire population got a dose within six months – faster than any comparable country. That is government for you. That’s this Conservative government.”

7.40am

Those who had gathered to watch Mr Johnson’s farewell speech at Downing Street broke into cheers as he finished his address.

Mr Johnson held his wife Carrie’s hand and shook hands with some of those gathered as he left the street, to applause.

7.39am

As soon as Boris Johnson began his speech, protesters began playing “Bye Bye Boris” from Kings Charles Street, which runs parallel to Downing Street.

The song is a remix of Bye Bye Baby, which anti-Brexit campaigner Steve Bray and his supporters often play during their protests.

Others could be heard shouting from Whitehall.

7.37am

Boris Johnson said he would be offering “fervent support” to Liz Truss’ government during a “tough time” for households across the country.

Tory MPs and officials who had gathered at Downing Street to watch the outgoing Prime Minister’s speech laughed as he compared himself to a “booster rocket” splashing down to earth having done his job as he resigned his post.

7.34am

As he kicked off his valedictory speech in Downing Street, Mr Johnson said: “This is it folks. Thank you everybody for coming out so early this morning.

“In only a couple of hours I will be in Balmoral to see Her Majesty the Queen and the torch will finally be passed to a new Conservative leader.

“The baton will be handed over in what has unexpectedly turned out to be a relay race. They changed the rules halfway through, but never mind that now.”

7.33am

Boris Johnson said “this is it, folks” as he gave his final speech as Prime Minister outside 10 Downing Street, highlighting his government’s record on Brexit, supporting Ukraine and the Covid-19 vaccine rollout.

7.30am

Chief Secretary to the Treasury Simon Clarke said “obsessing” about Liz Truss’s margin of victory is “to miss the point”.

He told Times Radio it “makes no difference to the ultimate outcome” whether she won by “one vote or a million”.

Mr Clarke suggested the fact Mr Truss’s final share of the vote was lower than polling of Tory members forecast in early August was because she “consciously made a decision” ahead of the result to prepare for taking office rather than forcing her campaign.

“I think winning most elections by 57% is regarded as a good outcome,” he said, adding that Ms Truss now has a “very clear mandate” to get on with the business of governing.

He added: “Obsessing about the margin of victory is to miss the point. Liz has won. She’s won comfortably. Everyone is quite rightly emphasising that now is the time for the Conservative Party to come together and to get behind her leadership, to govern in the national interest.”

7.25am

A crowd of MPs and political staff and officials has gathered at either side of the door to Number 10 in anticipation of Mr Johnson’s resignation speech shortly.

7.22am

Another face missing from the future Truss cabinet will be Priti Patel who has quit as Home Secretary.

In her resignation letter to Boris Johnson on Monday, Ms Patel said it was her “choice” to continue her public service from the backbenches, when Ms Truss formally takes up her post as prime minister on Tuesday.

While she pledged her support for the new leader, Ms Patel said it was “vital” that she continued to support the policies she had pursued to tackle illegal immigration – including the deportation of asylum seekers to Rwanda.

“It has been the honour of my life to serve as Home Secretary for the last three years,” she tweeted.

7.18am

One Cabinet member not expected to take up a roll in the new Truss administration is Nadine Dorries.

While the Culture Secretary had been tipped to keep the position after offering strong backing for Ms Truss doing the leadership campaign, Ms Dorries has announced she is standing down and returning to the backbenches.

It is expected that she will now be given a peerage in Mr Johnson’s resignation honours list, triggering a by-election in her Mid Bedfordshire constituency.

7.12am

A number of key allies and supporters have already been pencilled in for some of the most senior roles in Liz Truss’s cabinet which should begin to formed later on Tuesday, including Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng who is widely expected to be given the crucial role of chancellor.

If confirmed he will have the task of delivering on her promised “bold” plan to deal with surging energy bills which have plunged households and businesses into crisis.

Other key appointments are expected to include Attorney General Suella Braverman, who is tipped for promotion to home secretary, and Education Secretary James Cleverly, who is expected to be the new foreign secretary.

Therese Coffey, the Work and Pensions Secretary who is described as Ms Truss’s closest friend at Westminster, is thought to be in line to become health secretary while Ben Wallace is expected to remain as Defence Secretary.

7.05am

The lectern bearing the crest of state has been brought out to the front of Downing Street ahead of Boris Johnson’s farewell speech of his premiership.

7.02am

7am

Under normal circumstances, the pomp and drama of the royal appointment is mostly confined to London over the course of an afternoon, with the outgoing premier making a statement outside No 10 before a short car ride to Buckingham Palace.

But this time, the departing and incoming prime ministers will both have to make the 500-mile journey to the Queen’s Aberdeenshire retreat.

Mr Johnson is expected to leave Downing Street for the last time after his farewell address at 7.30am.

Mr Johnson and Ms Truss are expected to fly to Aberdeen on separate planes, with the current Prime Minister expected to arrive at the door of Balmoral Castle at 11.20am to formally tender his resignation.

Once he has left, the new Tory leader will be invited in.

Ms Truss is due to arrive at Balmoral at 12.10pm, when she will be appointed prime minister and asked to form an administration.

After around 30 minutes with the Queen, Ms Truss is expected to fly back to London and arrive at Downing Street to address the nation for the first time as PM at around 4pm.