LONDON: As many as a dozen candidates were on Friday eyeing up replacing Boris Johnson as British prime minister who is quitting after his Conservative Party turned on him, as opponents said they wanted him out of Downing Street immediately.

Johnson said on Thursday that he would step down as Conservative leader and British premier following resignations by more than 50 government ministers, and many of his lawmakers telling him they wanted him out of office.

The jostling to choose his successor - a process that could take weeks or even months - is underway with senior figures and some lesser known members of parliament (MPs) expected to throw their hat in the ring.

In the meantime, Johnson, brought down by a series scandals and a loss of trust in his integrity, remains in the job, a situation that opponents, and many in his own party, say is untenable.

“I think Conservative MPs have got to get rid of him today,” Ed Davey, leader of the Liberal Democrats told BBC TV. “It’s just ludicrous that he’s the caretaker prime minister. He’s never cared and looked after anything in his life.”

The main opposition Labour Party has also called for Johnson to go straightaway, promising to hold a confidence vote in parliament if he is not ousted immediately.

“(Johnson) remains prime minister until a new prime minister is found, that’s how our system works,” Education Secretary James Cleverly told Sky News.