ITV News political editor Robert Peston describes the process to replace Boris Johnson as Prime Minister Labor will table a motion of no confidence in Boris Johnson’s government today, challenging Tory MPs to oust the outgoing prime minister as they hold a leadership contest. The opposition party is seeking a vote on Wednesday, Labor sources said. Johnson’s colleagues will be forced to either back the government or vote against it, in a move that could trigger a general election. It will be a tough vote for Tory MPs, many of whom have said publicly that Mr Johnson does not have their support and should go, but voting with Labor could trigger a general election. The next prime minister is not expected to be announced until Monday, September 5. Sir Keir Starmer had previously threatened to bring a vote of confidence to prevent “this attachment nonsense for a few months”. “He brought lies, fraud and chaos to the country,” the Labor leader said last week. “If they don’t get rid of him, then Labor will step up, in the national interest, and bring a vote of no confidence, because we can’t go on with this prime minister hanging on for months and months.” It comes as front-runners in the race to replace Mr Johnson are likely to withdraw from nominations today, when nominations for the next Conservative Party leader open and close. On Monday night, the 1922 Committee of MPs set out the rules for the contest, saying the 11 candidates would be whittled down to a final two by next Thursday, with Boris Johnson’s successor finally announced on September 5. To stand, a candidate will need the support of 20 MPs – potentially making it harder for some of the lesser-known candidates to get on the ballot. The first vote of the MPs will be held on Wednesday, and any candidate who does not get at least 30 votes is expected to leave. A second vote will follow on Thursday with further votes taking place next week until the shortlist of candidates is whittled down to the final two – who will go to a postal vote of party members with the result to be revealed in September when MPs return to Westminster after their summer break. The Chairman of the 1922 Commission, Sir Graham Brady, said it was a “perfectly reasonable” timetable that would allow spin-off stories to take place across the country in the summer. Want a quick and special update on the biggest news? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out what you need to know The 1922 Committee is the governing body of the Tory parliamentary party, representing its supporters and effectively acting as its HR department. For the previous leadership contest, the committee agreed that candidates would need nominations from eight Tory MPs to get their name on the ballot, but a higher threshold was decided due to the desire for a quick contest. There are currently 11 candidates, but they will be narrowed down to the final two as they compete for nominations from their peers. Rishi Sunak and Penny Mordaunt are the only candidates so far to have passed the nomination threshold, meaning their names are certain to be on the first ballot of Tory MPs. There is still time for other hopefuls to throw their hat in the ring and several are said to be considering it. Home Secretary Priti Patel is said to be debating whether to enter the race and there is speculation that Tobias Ellwood, chairman of the Commons Defense Select Committee, could too. Those entering the race at such a late stage may find it difficult to win support from their colleagues, given that many have already chosen sides. Any hopefuls who don’t reach the nomination threshold will drop out of the race and their supporters will have to throw their weight behind someone else. ITV will host the first televised debate of the competition at 7pm on Sunday 17 July. Achieving the debate may prove difficult for Rehman Chishti, the last Tory to enter the race, because of his very low profile. Mr Chishti said the right candidate would have a “proven track record of coming to the table with ideas and creativity to help improve people’s lives”, but so far he has not secured nominations. In 2019, ITV’s Conservative leadership debate between Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt was watched by 4.4 million viewers. Introduced by presenter Julie Etchingham. ITV has yet to reveal who will host the debate this time around. It will take place at ITV’s White City studios. Michael Jermey, ITV’s Director of News and Current Affairs, said: “Televised debates in important elections help voters engage with politics. “ITV has been home to some of the biggest political debates of the last decade. “Sunday’s debate will be an important event as the country’s next prime minister will be chosen.”
