The BBC's Chris Mason says he's been told that Home Secretary Priti Patel has told the prime minister he should resign.

Nicholas Watt
Political editor, BBC Newsnight

I just asked an ally of a cabinet minister who is in No 10 calling on the PM to go: what would happen if he refuses?

"Then Boris Johnson won't have a cabinet," came the swift reply.

The Sun's political editor Harry Cole is reporting, citing sources, that Boris Johnson is seeing cabinet ministers one at a time rather than facing a whole delegation.

He says that a number stated that they would resign on Tuesday night or today without any movement.

They were subsequently invited to Downing Street, says Cole, to tell the prime minister to his face.

Image source, Reuters

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has been seen leaving 10 Downing Street in a large black car. He said nothing to the media.

The long-time defender of the PM is understood to have been among the group of cabinet ministers telling him to resign.

Cabinet minister and loyal Boris Johnson supporter Jacob Rees-Mogg has gone into No 10, Sky News’ political editor Beth Rigby is reporting.

Image source, Reuters

"Two competing trains of thought are currently at play in the prime minister's inner circle," writes Bloomberg's Alex Wickham., external

According to sources in government, the prime minister still believes "he should fight on and refuse to resign".

This, reports Wickham would involve shoring up his government with new appointments in the wake of further mass resignations

But other allies believe his time as PM is over "and are urging him to agree a timetable to hand over power".

As of late afternoon Wednesday, the prime minister believed he should battle on, says Wickham, citing multiple sources.

We're hearing now from Labour frontbencher Conor McGinn, who says the government has had to cancel bill committees due to take place in parliament tomorrow because "they now don't have enough ministers to attend".

McGinn says key legislation will have to be "effectively suspended" as a result.

He adds: "A government that can not perform even the most basic tasks needed to govern."

Earlier we reported that Brandon Lewis was among a group of ministers expected to gather at No 10 this evening - but his flight from Northern Ireland was delayed.

But the BBC's Chris Mason has been told by a fellow passenger that the delayed flight from Belfast to London is about to take off.

Brandon Lewis will head to Downing Street as soon as he arrives in London - and tell Boris Johnson he should resign as prime minister, the BBC understands.

Image source, Pool

Reporters at Downing Street are keeping a close eye on comings and goings. Jacob Rees-Mogg, a staunch ally of Johnson and fellow Brexiteer, managed a few words to journalists as he left the Cabinet Office this evening.

The Brexit opportunities minister said he been "working in the Cabinet Office" and "the prime minister has my full support".

Image source, Reuters

Policing Minister Kit Malthouse says that "it has been a difficult day".

Mr Malthouse, who is an ally of Boris Johnson, made the comment as he was leaving Downing Street where the Prime Minister is meeting Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the 1922 Committee.

Jonathan Djanogly, MP for Huntingdon - adds his name to the growing list of those calling for a vote of no confidence - or, in other words, saying they no longer have confidence in the prime minister.

We're hearing lots of talk of a group of ministers in Downing Street, who are going to tell Boris Johnson to resign.

They reportedly include:

Nadhim Zahawi, who was appointed chancellor yesterday by Boris Johnson

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps

Welsh Secretary Simon Hart

And Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis is apparently on his way, but currently held up by airport delays in Belfast

There are reports of two separate groups, with one made up of loyalists. Certainly we saw Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries go into No 10 earlier, and we haven't heard that she has withdrawn her support.

International Trade Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan has also been spotted going into No 10, although it is not clear which group she could be part of.

Priti Patel, the Home Secretary, was earlier spotted arriving at Downing Street by a side entrance. Again it's not clear which group she is part of.

In the last few minutes, Boris Johnson has been holding his "entirely normal, weekly audience with the Queen" by telephone, reports our political editor Chris Mason.

The PM has also been speaking to ministers who would want him to go, but others who want to see him stay. We know two groups are currently in Downing St.

The prime minister has been saying that while he has faced dozens of ministerial resignations, he's been stressing that "millions" voted for him.

A bullish Johnson has been asking whether any of the people likely to replace him would be able to "replicate his electoral success at the next election".

Nick Eardley
Political correspondent

An unnamed MP close to Boris Johnson tonight described some of his critics as “treacherous”.

The situation - with some of his cabinet ministers urging him to quit - echoes that which faced Margaret Thatcher in 1990. When several senior ministers told her then her time was up, she did resign.

Ione Wells
Political Correspondent, BBC News

There are two scenarios here – I'm told by government sources.

One – the prime minister accepts his cabinet ministers' call to resign, which would eventually trigger a leadership contest. Or two – he doesn't accept their call, some of them would then most likely resign.

Then it's up to the new 1922 executive committee - when elected - to decide if they should change Tory leadership rules to allow for a second vote of confidence in the PM which, as it stands, it doesn’t look like he has a huge amount of support to win again.

And yet another resignation... David Duguid has quit as a trade envoy. The MP for Banff and Buchan says in a statement: "In light of recent events, I believe the Prime Minister's position is now untenable.

"Having indicated my concerns internally earlier this week, it is my intention to stand down from my position as Fisheries Envoy and Trade Envoy for Angola and Zambia."

We have been told by a source that Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the 1922 Committee, is going to see Boris Johnson "to offer wise counsel".

Sir Graham was responsible, just a month ago, for announcing that Boris Johnson had won the vote of no confidence in the PM.

Nick Eardley
Political correspondent

The 1922 committee has decided that it won’t force the PM put - just yet.

Instead it will hold a speedy election, with a new executive being formed on Monday. It would then have the power to change the rules to allow another confidence vote.

The rationale is that would be fairer - a recently elected executive would have the support of the Tory party in Parliament.

But this could all be overtaken by events in Downing St, where several key cabinet ministers are urging the PM to stand down before he’s forced out.

Prior to the liaison committee meeting which finished at 5pm, the number of ministers and aides that had resigned was 27. That number has now jumped to 38.

The ten new resignations are:

Ministers

• Rachel Maclean, safeguarding minister
• Mike Freer, trade minister

Parliamentary private secretaries (PPS)

• Duncan Baker, PPS at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
• Craig Williams, PPS at the Treasury
• Mark Logan, PPS at the Northern Ireland Office
• Mark Fletcher, PPS at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
• Sara Britcliffe, PPS at the Department for Education
• Ruth Edwards, PPS at the Scottish Office
• Peter Gibson, PPS at the Department for International Trade
• James Sunderland, PPS at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Trade envoy

• David Duiguid, trade envoy for Angola and Zambia

Read more: Who has gone, who is staying?

Image source, BBC News

It's been a very busy day - and there is more to come, so stay with us. But if you need a quick recap, here's what's happened so far:

Cabinet delegation: A group of cabinet ministers is preparing to tell Boris Johnson inside No 10 that he should stand down as prime minister. The ministers include Grant Shapps, and the newly promoted Chancellor Nadhim Zawahi

Time to go: Michael Gove and Kwasi Kwarteng have also told the PM he has to go

No confidence vote: The 1922 committee of Conservative MPs has decided not to change its rules to allow a repeat no-confidence vote in the PM - at least not yet. Instead a new executive will be elected on Monday and they may decide to change the rules

PM questioned: The prime minister has appeared in front of the Liaision Committee - which gives MPs the chance to question Johnson on a number of issues and the government's actions. At lunchtime, Johnson endured a combative PMQs, facing noise, derision and opposition from all sides of the House.

Resignations: At least 36 ministers and aides have resigned since early evening on Tuesday, led by cabinet ministers Rishi Sunak and Sajid Javid. Shortly after PMQs, five ministers resigned in one letter, urging Boris Johnson "to step aside"

Javid speech: In an impassioned resignation speech, former Health Secretary Sajid Javid told the Commons "enough is enough"

Johnson defiant: Johnson insists he sees no reason to call an early election. His loyalists remain determined that the prime minister is fulfilling the mandate given to the Conservative Party by the British public in 2019