For British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, the final countdown has begun. Seriously wounded by the resignation of ministers who said he was not fit to govern, even as a growing number of lawmakers called for his resignation, perhaps the worst since Johnson came to power. facing crisis. The British PM narrowly survived a trust vote last month, giving him another 12 months’ exemption. But some legislators in his Conservative Party are trying to change party rules to shorten that immunity period.
News18 brings you information about the options for Johnson’s forced ouster, the names that are swirling for his replacement, and other developments:
What are the chances of ousting Johnson?
The easiest way would be for Johnson to admit that he has lost the support of many members of his party and cabinet and resign. He has so far shown no signs of being ready to do so.
Alternatively, several more cabinet members could ask Johnson to leave and almost certainly force him to resign. However, media reports suggest that other senior cabinet members, including Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, Defense Secretary Ben Wallace and Leveling Up Secretary Michael Gove, are staying in place.
Meanwhile, some legislators are trying to change party rules so that they can seek another trust vote sooner than currently allowed. Elections for the membership of the so-called 1922 committee that set the rules are due soon.
finding a successor
If Johnson were to be ousted, a process would be conducted to find a new leader. Here’s how the 1922 committee-overseen process was likely to work:
– Candidates who put themselves forward for leadership must be nominated by two other Conservative MPs. Candidates can have a wide field.
Conservative MPs then vote in several rounds to reduce the number of candidates. Each time they are asked to vote for their preferred candidate in a secret ballot, and the person with the fewest votes is eliminated.
– This process is repeated until two candidates are left. Votes were earlier held on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
– The last two candidates are then put into a postal ballot of wider Conservative Party membership, with the winner named as the new leader.
The leader of the majority party in the House of Commons is the de facto Prime Minister. They are not required to call mid-term elections, but have the power to do so.
How long will all this take?
The time taken in a leadership competition can vary, depending on how many people put themselves forward. Theresa May became leader in 2016 less than three weeks after her predecessor David Cameron resigned and all other contenders were eliminated mid-race.
Johnson faced former health minister Jeremy Hunt in a run-off ballot from Conservative members to replace May in 2019, and took office two months after May announced his intention to resign.
possible replacement
liz truss
The foreign secretary is a grassroots darling of the ruling Conservative Party and has regularly topped party member polls conducted by the website Conservative Home.
Truss’s public image is meticulously crafted and photographed in a tank last year, exposing a famous 1986 image of Britain’s first female prime minister, Margaret Thatcher, who was also captured in such a pose. went.
The 46-year-old spent the first two years of Johnson’s premiership as international trade secretary, championing Brexit, and last year was appointed as Britain’s chief negotiator with the European Union.
Truss said on Monday that Johnson had his “100% support” and urged allies to support him.
Jeremy Hunt
The former foreign secretary, 55, finished second behind Johnson in the 2019 leadership competition. He would offer a more serious and less controversial style of leadership after the turmoil of Johnson’s premiership.
Over the past two years, Hunt has used his experience as former health secretary to chair the health select committee and has not been stigmatized by serving in the current government.
Earlier this year, he said his ambition to become prime minister “has not disappeared completely”. Hunt said he would vote to oust Johnson in a trust vote last month, which Johnson won marginally.
ben wallace
Defense Minister Ben Wallace, 52, has emerged in recent months as the most popular member of the government with Conservative Party members, thanks to his handling of it, according to Conservative Home. Ukraine Problem.
A former soldier himself, he served in Northern Ireland, Germany, Cyprus and Central America, and was mentioned in a 1992 dispatch.
He began his political career in May 1999 as a member of the Devolved Assembly of Scotland, before being first elected to the Parliament of Westminster in 2005.
He was Minister of Security from 2016, until taking over his current role three years later, receiving praise for his department’s role in evacuating British citizens and allies. Afghanistan Sending weapons to Kyiv last year, and during the recent war in Ukraine.
RISHI SUNAK
Sunak, who resigned as finance minister on Tuesday saying “the public rightly expects the government to operate properly, competently and seriously”, was the favorite to succeed Johnson until last year. .
He was praised for the rescue package for the economy coronavirus The pandemic, including a job retention program that prevented massive unemployment, could cost 410 billion pounds ($514 billion).
But Sunak has faced criticism for not providing adequate cost-of-living support for his wealthy wife’s non-domicile tax status and the fines she received, along with Johnson, for breaking COVID-19 lockdown rules.
His tax-and-spend budget last year put Britain in for its biggest tax burden since the 1950s, slashing their claims in favor of lower taxes.
Sajid Javid
Javid was the first cabinet minister to resign over allegations that Johnson misled the public about sexual assault allegations against a Conservative lawmaker.
A former banker and champion of free markets, Javid has served in several cabinet roles, most recently as Minister of Health. He resigned as finance minister to Johnson in 2020.
The son of Pakistani Muslim immigrant parents, he is an admirer of the late Conservative Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.
Javid finished fourth in the 2019 leadership competition to replace former Prime Minister Theresa May.
Nadeem Jahvi
The newly appointed finance minister was impressed as vaccines minister when Britain had one of the fastest rollouts of COVID-19 jabs in the world.
Zahavi’s personal story as a former refugee from Iraq who immigrated to Britain as a child sets him apart from other conservative claimants.
He co-founded the voting company YouGov before entering parliament in 2010. His last job was as the Secretary of Education. Jahvi said last week that it would be a “privilege” to be prime minister at some stage.
Penny MORDAUNT
The former defense secretary was sacked by Johnson when he became prime minister after backing his rival Hunt during the previous leadership contest.
Mordaunt was a passionate supporter of leaving the European Union and made national headlines by participating in the now-defunct reality TV diving show.
Mordant, currently a junior trade minister, called the parties in government breaking the lockdown “shameful”. He said voters want to see “professionalism and competence” from the government.
She had previously expressed loyalty to Johnson.
(with inputs from Reuters)
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