Mr Johnson said he is “determined” to deliver the mandate he was elected on in 2019 in his final few weeks as Prime Minister, as he made his first public appearance since he resigned as Conservative leader this morning.

Speaking during a visit to the Francis Crick Institute in London, he told reporters: “I’m determined to get on and deliver the mandate that was given to us, but my job is really just to oversee the process in the next few weeks, and I’m sure that the outcome will be good.

“We just need to get on and as I said I think before to you, the more we focus on the people, on the people who elect us, on their jobs, their hopes and what they can get out of investment in science and technology.

Boris Johnson has made his first public appearance since announcing he will stand down as Prime Minister once a new Tory leader is elected.

“The more we talk about the the future that we’re trying to build, the less we talk about politics in Westminster, the generally happier we will all be.”

Mr Johnson refused to speak about the mass exodus of his ministers that led to his resignation last week and said throwing his weight behind one of the candidates to succeed him could “damage” their chances.

Following the accusation in his resignation speech that his tormentors had succumbed to a “herd mentality”, he was asked whether he felt betrayed.

Mr Johnson said: “I don’t want to say any more about all that.

“There’s a contest under way and it’s happened, and, you know, I wouldn’t want to damage anybody’s chances by offering my support.

“I just have to get on and, in the last few days or weeks of the job, the constitutional function of the Prime Minister in this situation is to discharge the mandate, to continue to discharge the mandate, and that’s what I’m doing.

“I think the reason we’re here today is because I think … science, technology – our natural genius in this area is one of the many, many things that is going to carry us forward and make sure that our our future is very bright.”

Among those in the leadership contest are his former Chancellor Rishi Sunak and ex-Health Secretary Sajid Javid, whose resignations within minutes of each other on Tuesday evening sparked a snowball effect of MPs quitting Government posts and led to Mr Johnson announcing he would be standing down.

Mr Johnson said that whoever takes over as prime minister in the coming months will have a “great, great agenda” to continue.

“I know that whatever happens and whoever takes over, there is a great, great agenda to be continued and that we put in some pretty fantastic investments, not just in science but in infrastructure, in skills and in technology, that I think are going to enable us Conservatives, I should say, to keep on with our programme of levelling up and delivering for all the people in this country.”

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Boris Johnson won't publicly back any candidate in Tory leadership race