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UK PM Johnson expresses regret he cannot remain as prime minister

British PM Johnson speaks at Downing Street

LONDON (Reuters) - Boris Johnson said on Thursday he regretted not being able to stay on as Britain's prime minister as he announced his resignation.

After days of battling for his job, Johnson was deserted by all but a handful of allies after the latest in a series of scandals broke their willingness to support him.

"Of course, it is painful to not to be able to see through so many ideas and projects," Johnson said at the door of Number 10 Downing Street.

"But as we have seen at Westminster the herd instinct is powerful and when the herd moves, it moves."

(Reporting by William James and Andrew MacAskill, editing by Elizabeth Piper)