British finance minister resigns

British finance minister Philip Hammond resigned on Wednesday just as Boris Johnson prepares to become prime minister, saying the new leader should choose someone "fully aligned with his policy position."

Hammond, who is vehemently opposed to a no-deal Brexit that Johnson has not ruled out, also said in a letter to outgoing Prime Minister Theresa May that the unresolved issue of Brexit had caused "uncertainty" for the economy.

After the decade when the aftermath of the 2008-09 recession meant we had no choices, this is a luxury which our successors should use wisely," Hammond said.