Boris Johnson 'desperately clinging on to his own fantasy' as resignations mount

He told MPs in the House Of Commons: 'The job of a prime minister in difficult circumstances when he has been handed a colossal mandate is to keep going and that’s what I’m going to do'

British prime minister Boris Johnson departs 10 Downing Street to attend Prime Minister's Questions at the Houses of Parliament on Wednesday. Picture: Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire

Boris Johnson defied calls to resign despite a fresh wave of ministerial resignations in Britain and signs that support on the Tory backbenches is ebbing away.

Cabinet minister Michael Gove has reportedly told the prime minister he must step down.