Image source, Getty Images
Boris Johnson has resigned as leader of the Conservative Party and plans to remain as prime minister until a new party leader is elected in the autumn.
Johnson has appointed a new cabinet following the wave of resignations from his government, which led to his resignation.
Our political correspondent David Wallace Lockhart answers some of your questions about the tumultuous events in Westminster:
“Boris Johnson has just resigned and is forming a new government. How exactly does this work? (John Fitzsimmons)
Boris Johnson remains prime minister and it looks like that will be the case until we have a new Conservative party leader.
He has the right – and the obligation – to keep the government business.
That means he needs new ministers (remember many of them resigned recently). Some of them may only be in charge for a few weeks, as a new party leader will want to appoint their own top team.
“Will these temporary placements receive ministerial compensation when they have to resign when a new leader is elected?” (Mark Bolney)
For this we refer to the Ministerial and Other Pensions and Wages Act of 1991.
If a minister leaves office – and is not re-elected to government within three weeks – he is entitled to severance pay.
The act states that they should receive a quarter of their annual ministerial salary on leaving office. It does not stipulate a minimum period of time they must spend at work to receive payment.
“Dominic Raab is not our Deputy Prime Minister, so is he here to step in and cover now?” (Shelley Duck)
The simple answer is that it is, but it will not intervene because there is no vacancy: Boris Johnson remains prime minister.
As Deputy Prime Minister, Dominic Raab has replaced Mr Johnson in the past, for example, by asking Prime Minister Questions (PMQ) when Mr Johnson has been out of the country, but this does not automatically make him Prime Minister when Boris Johnson leaves announcing that he retired as a Conservative leader.
This is not uncommon. David Cameron and Theresa May continued to serve as prime ministers after announcing they were leaving.
Image source, Reuters
“Will Boris Johnson answer questions to the PMQs next week?” (Joan Q)
Unless there is a new prime minister, yes.
Some voices (such as former Prime Minister Sir John Major) are calling on Mr Johnson to resign and a short-term replacement be installed. According to their proposals, they would remain in place while the leadership contest was held. But that doesn’t seem likely at the moment.
Except for big breakthroughs, it will be Boris Johnson who will be asking questions to the PMQs next week.
“Why should we accept a leader appointed by the gray suits of 1922?” (Barry Tuck)
The 1922 Committee is the group representing the Conservative MPs from the back bank. They will set the rules for the leadership contest, but the new leader will eventually be appointed by members of the Conservative party (it is thought to be about 180,000 people).
His vote is likely to come after Conservative MPs reduced the numbers to two candidates.
The general public will have their say in the next general election, which will be held in January 2025 at the latest.
“Could Mr. Johnson be appointed to be leader again?” (Colin Fuller, Cheltenham)
It would be a very controversial move and it doesn’t seem possible.
Under current rules of conservative leadership, a resigning leader may not enter the subsequent leadership contest.
Image source, UK Parliament / Jessica Taylor
Can someone like Theresa May run again as prime minister? (John Starbuck)
She should run to be the leader of the Conservative Party again and win the next contest.
It would be an unusual move, and it is very unlikely, but there is no rule to stop it from taking first place again.
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