New Zealand Prime Minister resigns over family matters

New Zealand Prime Minister John Key announced today that he will resign within a week for family reasons.

New Zealand Prime Minister John Key. Photo: AP

National Party leader and New Zealand Prime Minister John Key held a press conference announcing his resignation after informing the cabinet of his decision, according to the Guardian.

The reason for his sudden decision was family reasons. Mr Key said that the job of prime minister required too many sacrifices from "the people he loved most".

He affirmed that he would vote for Deputy Prime Minister Bill English if he ran for prime minister.

He thanked his government colleagues for their support and said it was "the right time" to step down, stressing that serving the country had been a "privilege".

Ruling National Party lawmakers will hold a session on December 12 to choose the party leader and take over as New Zealand's prime minister.

John Key has been Prime Minister of New Zealand since 2008. He is considered one of New Zealand's most popular leaders. The next election is due before November next year.

According to VNE