Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Secretary Michael Gove has been sacked by Boris Johnson this evening, it has now been confirmed.
It comes after it was reported that the cabinet minister told the PM earlier on Wednesday that he must stand down - with Mr Johnson insisting he would still be leader on Thursday.
It has been recorded so far that 42 MPs have quit their various roles in the PMs Government since Tuesday, with swathes of backbenchers publicly announcing their lack of faith in Mr Johnson and his leadership.
It has emerged that Gove was sacked via phone call shortly after 9pm on Wednesday evening (July 6). Reports initially suggest that Mr Johnson had dismissed the Levelling Up Secretary for disloyalty, with a No10 source branding him a "snake".