Shock exit from Boris!

Of course he wanted to be party leader, he just didn't want to be party leader at a time when the country was in such a mess.

bags People don't want to hear the good news Re the pound doing ok under all this pressure

DH has just come in and his reaction was "What a tosser! He creates chaos and division for his own personal gain and now jumps ship"

What if he never intended to be PM?

He was a popular Brexit leader. People who are more likely to vote for a 'character' might not have voted to leave the EU if they hadn't thought there was a chance Boris might become PM.

Lots of skullduggery going on at the moment.

Sarah Vine would like to be the power behind the throne, I think.

I don't agree it's a farce, ww. It's democracy at work. I'm finding it really really interesting.

Did anyone else notice that the pound bounced back up yesterday? I don't know what it's doing today but that seemed as if people were being too alarmist and not making any allowance for the race-horse twitchiness of the financial markets.

I think he just doesn't fancy the job right now. Far too much hard work ahead. Why put yourself through it if you have a choice?

So... stabbed in the back, as the saying goes, and realising his own limitations as to leadership qualities, he steps back and leaves it to others he (or they) deem more competent for the job in hand. I'd call that acting like a decent man. One doesn't have to like the man personally to see that.

At last he has recognised his limitations. Now for the rest of them and we might stand a decent chance of surviving this farce.

I think He misjudged and has now realised that leaving the EU will be very complicated and time consuming, no time for cricket.

Bye Bye Boris.

What are they playing at? (#conspiracytheory)
That email from Sarah Vine was never "leaked" - all part of a cunning plan?
May is certainly looking the strongest candidate at present.

Boris just said he 'cannot provide the leadership or unity needed'. and has ruled himself out of the race.
OMG what next?

And Give saud recently of himself - haven't what it takes to be PM .

Boris has been stabbed in the back, a taste of his own medicine

After the way Gove stabbed him in the back this morning Johnson had no choice.

Having lead the country into the mess it's in, he has realised that he is not capable of cleaning up after himself -- thanks Boris.

At least we won't have Boris & Trump. something to be happy about.

Hmm. That kinda puts paid to the idea that he only supported Brexit as a ruse to get the Tory Party leadership.

Don't we live in exciting political times?

Does this mean Gove is the frontrunner? I feel there is orchestration going on here... What's going on behind closed doors?

Andrew Mitchell was right the other night when he said that the favourite never ever wins.