New UK prime minister to replace Boris Johnson will be named on September 5
- There are currently 11 hopefuls vying for Britain’s top job, after the scandal-ridden PM was forced to step down last week
- The ruling Conservative party’s influential 1922 Committee has outlined a timetable for the leadership race, with nominations to open and close on Tuesday
The new UK prime minister to replace the outgoing Boris Johnson will be announced on September 5, the ruling Conservative party said Monday, with 11 hopefuls currently vying for the job.
The leadership contest was triggered last week when Johnson, 58, was forced to step down after a frenzy of more than 50 resignations from his government, in opposition to his scandal-hit premiership.
The influential 1922 Committee of non-ministerial Tory MPs in parliament on Monday outlined a timetable for the party’s leadership election.
Nominations will officially open and close on Tuesday, with a new prime minister set to be installed when parliament returns from the summer break on September 5, Graham Brady, chair of the 1922 Committee, told reporters.
Tory MPs will whittle the current list down to a final two through a series of ballots, with the worst-performing candidate eliminated after each round, before party members choose the winner.
With calls for Johnson to leave Downing Street as soon as possible – and to avoid the process dragging into MPs’ summer holidays – the numbers are likely to be pared down quickly to just two.