JOHNSON QUITS AS TORY LEADER, SAYING WILL OF PARTY IS CLEAR
BBC - July 7, 2022
- The prime minister quits as Conservative leader but says he will continue to serve as PM until the party chooses his successor
- Boris Johnson says it is "clearly now the will" of Conservative MPs that there should be a new leader
- The PM says a "herd instinct" at Westminster rejected his bid to stay on as party leader
- But a growing number of Tory MPs say he has to leave No 10 now rather than wait
- Labour says Johnson cannot stay on as PM, or they will try to bring a no confidence vote in Parliament
- Johnson has been appointing a new cabinet - Greg Clark is the new Levelling Up Secretary while Kit Malthouse is Chancellor for the Duchy of Lancaster
- James Cleverly becomes the third education minister in three days, while Robert Buckland is made Welsh Secretary
- Foreign Secretary Liz Truss - who has remained silent for days - is cutting short a foreign trip and returning to London
Question that remains: How will government function?
The new cabinet is now in place.
But I understand government whips are having discussions on how to get current legislation through Parliament with so few junior ministers remaining.
How will Conservatives choose a new leader?
It’s now up to the 1922 Committee of backbenchers to decide the timetable for electing a new Conservative Party leader.
My sources say there is likely to be a meeting on Monday, where the executive of the committee will decide on rules and timetable.
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Tory MPs will whittle the number of candidates down to two. I’m told that’s likely before the summer recess.
The final two - assuming they both want to run - would then spend summer fighting for the leadership.
The expectation is a new leader will be in place by September. But I should emphasise - some Tory MPs want Boris Johnson out much quicker.