Boris Johnson admits his support could ‘damage’ would be PMs

Boris Johnson has admitted that his support would damage the chances of any candidate vying to replace him as prime minister.

Speaking for the first time since he was forced to announce his resignation, Mr Johnson also brushed aside questions about whether he felt betrayed.

At the weekend his sister Rachel Johnson suggested that the loss of the premiership was like a bereavement.

During his resignation speech outside Downing Street Mr Johnson himself accused his opponents of succumbing to a "herd mentality".

But asked on an official visit to the Francis Crick Institute in London if he felt a sense of betrayal, Mr Johnson told Sky News: "I don’t want to say any more about all that.”

He added that his resignation had happened and there was now a “contest under way”.

But in a sign he is aware of just how toxic his reputation has become among Tory MPs, he added: “I wouldn’t want to damage anybody’s chances by offering my support.”

"I just have to get on and, in the last few days or weeks of the job, the constitutional function of the prime minister in this situation is to discharge the mandate, to continue to discharge the mandate, and that’s what I’m doing.”

Getting involved is “not the job of the prime minister at this stage. The job of the prime minister at this stage is to let the party decide.“

But, he added: “I’m sure the outcome will be good.”

Mr Johnson was forced to resign after Tory MPs lined up to say they could no longer serve in his government following a series of scandals, including partygate.

Mr Johnson narrowly survived a vote of no confidence in his abilities as Conservative leader only last month.

But when a former senior civil servant said that he had known of claims against a Tory MP before he appointed him deputy chief whip it proved the final straw for many.

Two members of the cabinet, Sajid Javid and Rishi Sunak, resigned in protest, followed by a series of ministers within 24 hours.

By Thursday Mr Johnson was forced to accept that his time in Downing Street was over, less than three years after he won an 80 seat majority at a general election.

MPs will meet tonight to discuss the timetable to choose his successor.

They are expected to whittle down a crowded field of candidates to a final two within the next fortnight.

They will then spend the summer attending hustings around the country to allow Tory party members to grill them on their proposals, before a final vote. A new leader is expected to be installed by September.