BBC News Channel

Lord Heseltine tells BBC News that Boris Johnson was in a "difficult position".

"If he'd let David Davis loose as the leader of the Brexit protest group, then Boris loses a bit of street cred, so he had to go as well," the former deputy prime minister said.

Theresa May has left a meeting of the 1922 committee to loud applause, Reuters reports.

She did not speak to journalists on her way out.

Iain Watson
Political correspondent

Mr Johnson said he found it disturbing that Mrs May's proposals for post-Brexit relations with the EU - agreed on Friday at Chequers - was "our opening bid".

"It is as though we are sending our vanguard into battle with the white flags fluttering above them," he writes.

In his resignation letter to the prime minister, Boris Johnson wrote:

"Brexit should be about opportunity and hope. It should be a chance to do things differently... That dream is dying, suffocated by needless self doubt."

Mr Johnson said "we appear to be heading for a semi-Brexit" and had concluded he "must go" since he "cannot in all conscience champion" the proposals agreed by Cabinet on Friday.

"As I said then, the government now has a song to sing," he wrote. "The trouble is that I have practised the words over the weekend and find that they stick in the throat."

Speaking in London today, Germany's minister of state for Europe has said the EU does not want these resignations to delay Brexit.

"We have all lived through difficult times concerning Brexit and the Brexit talks and the clock is running," said Michael Roth, who was meant to be speaking alongside Boris Johnson before Mr Johnson quit as foreign secretary earlier today.

"By October we would like to have a conclusion and reach a good agreement," he added.

Image source, Reuters

Radio 4 PM

Boris Johnson's parliamentary aide Conor Burns said that his boss had not taken the decision to resign lightly.

He told BBC Radio 4's PM: "It has been a very difficult decision for him.

"I have talked to him about it. It is not a decision that he reached lightly.

"It is certainly not a decision he reached because of the actions of others.

"I think he simply felt he could not defend the position that the cabinet were bounced into on Friday."

Asked if he thought there could be other government resignations, Mr Burns said: "I think that is certainly possible."

Image source, Reuters

US President Donald Trump is due to land in the UK on Thursday to meet the prime minister - who arguably may have other things on her mind.

But a statement from the White House says the visit is still on track.

Press secretary Sarah Sanders said: "The president continues to look forward to his working visit with the prime minister on 13 July, and further strengthening the US-UK special relationship."

ITV News

Boris Johnson may not have left the foreign secretary's official residence yet - but his ministerial red boxes now have.

Image source, PA

Image source, Getty Images

Labour's deputy leader Tom Watson tells the BBC why Tory "high drama" is an "absolute tragedy".

"The problem is we have with these big, high-drama, fast-moving events in Westminster, but let's remember this is a very sad day for the country," he said.

"These are the most important negotiations facing this country since the Second World War.

"We have seen the two most senior cabinet members leaving the cabinet over disagreeing with that statement made today, effectively voting a no confidence in that prime minister's leadership.

"We hear rumours that there are letters going into call for a leadership election.

"That may be high drama for the Tories... but for the people out there whose jobs depend on this deal getting through it is an absolute tragedy.

"What we need to see is these negotiations getting back on track - we need strong leadership and it seems to me this government is in meltdown and there is no way I see that they are going to get out of it."

Russian Gazprom-owned NTV has provided its own colourful take on today's developments in the UK.

NTV says Mr Johnson, "the most controversial head of the Foreign Office", has resigned in a "sensational" development.

It adds he is well known not only owing to his "undiplomatic" statements in relation to Russia, but also because of his "unsavoury betrayal" of David Cameron.

"One can now expect a similar betrayal in relation to the lady, his benefactor Theresa May, whom he has effectively stabbed in the back," the outlet adds.