Tory leadership timeline: Key dates for choosing Boris Johnson’s replacement

Tory leadership: Graham Brady reveals MPs with support

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The Conservative Party has spent months dealing with in-fighting and scandals, and on July 7 Boris Johnson accepted that change is needed by announcing his intention to resign. Senior Tory MPs have entered the leadership race, and voting will soon begin to decide who will become the next leader of the party.

Rishi Sunak and Sajid Javid’s resignations in July showed that the Conservative Party could no longer continue with Mr Johnson in charge.

Scandals were mounting up, and when the Prime Minister was forced to apologise for appointing Chris Pincher to the role of deputy chief whip, it sparked a mass Government walkout, making Mr Johnson’s position untenable.

As Government members handed in their notices in droves, the country watched as the Prime Minister battled to save his job.

Unfortunately for Mr Johnson and his allies, it became clear that appointing a new Tory leader was the only way to save the party from election defeat in 2024.

What is the timeline for the Tory leadership election?

Sir Graham Brady, Chairman of the 1922 Committee, announced that nominations for the leadership election opened on July 12.

MPs normally need the backing of eight colleagues to make the ballot, but the rules were changed to 20 this time to speed up the process.

Eight Conservative Party MPs have reached the second stage of the process out of eleven who entered the race initially.

The first round of voting takes place on July 13, when all Tory MPs will have the chance to decide who they want to be prime minister.

Candidates who receive less than 30 votes from their colleagues will have to drop out of the race.

Further rounds of voting are expected to take place on July 14 and 15, whittling the candidates down to two finalists.

Mr Brady confirmed that hustings will likely take place on Wednesday evening after the first round of voting has been completed.

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Once the number of candidates has been narrowed to just two, the voting is opened up to 160,000 Tory members, who have the summer to cast their vote on who they want to be party leader – and prime minister.

Britain’s new prime minister is due to be announced on September 5, putting an end to Mr Johnson’s time in office.

Speaking about the process, Mr Brady told Sky News: “Certainly we will get to two candidates before the House of Commons rises for the summer on July 21,”

On that date, Parliament will go on a summer recess, and return on September 5 – the date the new prime minister is announced.

The Labour Party tried to call a no confidence vote in Mr Johnson to force him out of Number 10 earlier than September 5, but this was rejected.

Labour’s leader, Sir Keir Starmer, said: “The Tories can’t let him cling on for weeks and weeks and weeks.”

The Government declined the vote of no confidence, calling it a waste of time.

A Number 10 spokesperson said: “As the prime minister has already resigned and a leadership process is underway we do not feel this is a valuable use of parliamentary time.”

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