Boris Johnson resignation latest – Rishi’s popularity SURGING among Tory MPs as favourite to replace PM

Piers Morgan accuses Boris of ‘squatting’ in No10

Piers Morgan has accused Boris Johnson of "squatting" in No10 - and demanded he step down now so Dominic Raab can take over.

The TV firebrand, a long-standing critic of the PM, hit out as Mr Johnson assembled his 'zombie cabinet'.

The politician has vowed to continue working on until his successor is appointed - which could be as late as October.

But Piers, who fronts Piers Morgan: Uncensored for TalkTV, says he must go immediately.

He tweeted: "This is a ridiculous situation.

"Boris Johnson is squatting at No10 with a dismally lightweight makeshift cabinet.

"He must go, Raab must take over as interim PM and restore all ministers who quit until a new leader is chosen.

"These are serious times - Britain needs to be governed."

Mr Johnson announced his resignation yesterday after he was hobbled by one of the largest political rebellions in British history.

Police statement on Starmer and Rayner

Following the emergence of significant new information, an investigation was launched by Durham Constabulary into a gathering at the Miners’ Hall, in Redhills, Durham on 30th April 2021.

That investigation has now concluded.

A substantial amount of documentary and witness evidence was obtained which identified the 17 participants and their activities during that gathering.

Following the application of the evidential Full Code Test, it has been concluded that there is no case to answer for a contravention of the regulations, due to the application of an exception, namely reasonably necessary work.

Accordingly, Durham Constabulary will not be issuing any fixed penalty notices in respect of the gathering and no further action will be taken.

The investigation has been thorough, detailed and proportionate.

The final evidence supplied by participants from the local constituency was returned to Durham Police on 5th July and analysed by investigators against all the evidence before the investigation was concluded on 8th July 2022.

In line with established national policing guidelines, we will not name or otherwise identify any of those present at the gathering, all of whom have been informed of the investigation outcome by their legal representatives.

Has a King or Queen dissolved Parliament before?

The Queen must give her permission for an election to take place, and she has the power to refuse such a request if it breaches certain constitutional conventions. 

The last dissolution of Parliament was in November 2019 to make way for the general election, which Boris Johnson won.

Parliament is dissolved 25 days before the general election, which happens every five years.

The Prime Minister visits the monarch and asks them to dissolve Parliament to allow for campaigning and the public to vote.

In 1979, Labour PM James Callaghan lost a vote of no confidence, leading to the Queen dissolving parliament, therefore giving the public the right to vote in the next Government.

However, the Queen can refuse a request to dissolve Parliament.

Can the Queen dissolve Parliament?

Historically, the monarch is able to dissolve Parliament and does so at the end of each term.

This usually happens every five years but can be brought forward by royal proclamation.

When the Queen dissolves Parliament, all Members of Parliament are dismissed and a general election is called.

The Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 meant an election could only be called outside the five-year Parliamentary cycle by one of two scenarios - if two-thirds of the House of Commons voted in favour of one, or if the Government lost a vote of no confidence.

But the power to call a snap election was reinstated by the Dissolution and Calling of Parliament Act 2022.

Parliament is dissolved to make way for a general election, which formally removes all MPs.

Rishi can beat Starmer

Rishi Sunak is the only Tory leadership candidate who could beat Keir Starmer in a general election, a poll suggests.

The former Chancellor pipped the Labour leader, left, by one point.

Lagging in the JL Partners survey of more than 2,000 people are Nadhim Zahawi, Sajid Javid, Ben Wallace, Jeremy Hunt, Liz Truss and Penny Mordaunt.

A Tory MP said: “When it comes to picking a new leader MPs are only concerned with two things. Can they win an election? And what is in it for them?”

Rishi Sunak & Liz Truss among contenders for PM

Ben Wallace and Rishi Sunak have emerged as early frontrunners to be next PM as Britain braces itself for an intense Tory leadership contest.

At least ten candidates are likely to join the race for the top job, with jostling for position underway within minutes of the PM’s resignation.

Conservative Party bosses fear a series of nasty “blue on blue” clashes, as bitterness over the ousting of Boris Johnson spills over.

In an early sign of trouble, the vanquished PM’s loyal lieutenant Jacob Rees-Mogg last night twisted the knife into Mr Sunak — accusing him of wrecking the economy.

He raged: “Rishi Sunak was not a successful Chancellor. He was a high tax Chancellor, and he was a Chancellor who was not alert to the inflationary problem.”

He added: “We are facing internationally the greatest crisis in relation to inflation and I’m afraid the Treasury has not been tackling that properly. It has not been focusing on the inflationary issue. It has not taken charge of quantitative easing.”

'Wait and see about leadership bid'

Jeremy Hunt was asked about his leadership ambitions at the end of his morning run.

The former health secretary's response was quite coy saying "you're going to have to wait and see".

Will there be a general election?

There is a strong possibility that a no confidence vote in the Commons could lead to an election.

For now that has not happened.

Whoever is the Prime Minister has the power to call a general election.

When the new Tory leader moves in to No10 they could choose to trigger an early national ballot at a time of their choosing.

Alternatively the next PM can wait until January 2025, by which time a general election has to take place.

Could he be forced out?

Sir Keir Starmer has threatened to table a vote no confidence in the Commons if the PM clings on.

If a majority of MPs vote no confidence in Boris' government he will be forced to resign to the Queen.

This would then either pave the way for Dominic Raab to take over or a general election.

Does Boris carry on for months or does he go right now? 

Mr Johnson plans to continue as PM until a new leader of the Tory party is in place for the October conference.

The choice to carry on temporarily or go straight away is up to Mr Johnson.

Conservative leadership elections are automatically triggered when a Tory PM resigns.

But Boris has decided to stay on until his party picks a new leader.

Boris had a warning for his predecessor

Mr Johnson left with a warning to his predecessor.

"In Westminster the herd instinct is powerful and when the herd moves, it moves," he said.

"And, my friends in politics, no one is remotely indispensable."

Who could replace Boris Johnson?

Boris Johnson's would-be successors are bracing for battle after the Prime Minister quit this afternoon.

Mr Johnson has stepped down after facing one of the biggest rebellions in British political history.

A race to replace him as Tory leader and British prime minister has now begun, although Mr Johnson says he will remain in his post until a new leader is appointed.

Attorney General Suella Braverman became the first Conservative to announce her leadership bid today.

However, big Conservative hitters like Rishi Sunak, Nadhim Zahawi, Liz Truss, Sajid Javid and Jeremy Hunt are all expected to put themselves forward too.

Boris Johnson's resignation speech in full

Boris said: "Good afternoon. Thank you. It is clearly now the will of the parliamentary Conservative Party that there should be a new leader of that party and therefore a new Prime Minister. I've agreed with Sir Graham Brady, the chairman of our backbench MPs, that the process of choosing that new leader should begin now and the timetable will be announced next week. I've today appointed a cabinet to serve as I will until a new leader is in place.

"So I want to say to the millions of people who voted for us in 2019, many of them voted Conservative for the first time. Thank you for that incredible mandate, the biggest Conservative majority since 1987. The biggest share of the vote since 1979. And the reason I have fought so hard in the last few days to continue to deliver that mandate in person was not just because I wanted to do so because I felt it was my job, my duty, my obligation to you to continue to do what we promised in 2019.

"Of course, I'm immensely proud of the achievements of this government from getting Brexit done to settling our relations with the continent for over half a century - reclaiming the power for this country to make its own laws. In parliament, getting us all through the pandemic, delivering the fastest vaccine rollout in Europe, the fastest exit from lockdown, and in the last few months, leading the West in standing up to Putin's aggression in Ukraine. Let me say that to the people of Ukraine that I know that we in the UK will continue to back your fight for freedom for as long as it takes.

"At the same time in this country we've been pushing forward a vast programme of investment in infrastructure and skills and technology - the biggest in a century. If I have one insight into human beings, it is that genius and talent and enthusiasm and imagination are evenly distributed throughout the population, but opportunity is not. That's why we must keep levelling up, keep unleashing the potential in every part of the United Kingdom. If we can do that in this country we will be the most prosperous in Europe.

"In the last few days I’ve tried to persuade my colleagues that it would be eccentric to change governments where we are delivering so much and when we have such a vast mandate and when we're actually only a handful of points behind in the polls, even in midterm after quite a few months in pretty relentless sledging, and when the economic scene is so difficult domestically and internationally. I regret and not to have been successful in those arguments and of course it's painful, and not to be able to see through so many ideas and projects myself.

"But as we've seen, a Westminster the herd instinct is powerful when the herd moves, it moves, and my friends, in politics, no one is remotely indispensable. Our brilliant and Darwinian system will produce another leader, equally committed to taking this country forward through tough times. Not just helping families to get through it, but changing and improving the way we do things – cutting burdens on businesses and families and yes, cutting taxes. Because that is the way to generate the growth and the income we need to pay for great public services.

"To that, new leader, I say wherever he or she may be I say I will give you as much support as I can. And to you, the British public, I know that there will be many people who are relieved and perhaps quite a few who will also be disappointed. I want you to know how sad I am to be giving up the best job in the world. But them's the breaks.

"I want to thank Carrie, our children and all members of my family who have had to put up with so much for so long. I want to thank the peerless British civil service for all the help and support that you have given our police, our emergency services and of course our fantastic NHS who at a critical moment helped to extend my own period in office, as well as our armed services and our agencies that are so admired around the world, and our indefatigable Conservative Party members and supporters whose selfless campaigning makes our democracy possible.

"I want to thank the wonderful staff here at No10 and of course at Chequers. Above all, I want to thank you, the British public, for the immense privilege that you have given me. I want you to know that from now on until the new Prime Minister is in place, your interests will be served and the government of the country will be carried on.

"Being Prime Minister is an education in itself. I've travelled to every part of the United Kingdom and in addition to the beauty of our natural world, I found so many people possessed of such boundless British originality and so willing to tackle old problems in new ways that I know that even if things can sometimes seem dark now, our future together is golden.

"Thank you all very much."

Priti Patel - 'My duty is to continue to lead this Great Office'

Priti Patel says she is concentrating on the job at hand as Boris Johnson confirms his resignation.

She Tweeted: "At this critical time my duty is to continue to lead this Great Office of State, to protect the national security, and keep citizens of our country safe."

Carrie Johnson and baby Romy support Boris Johnson

Boris Johnson's wife Carrie joined his supporters outside Downing Street as the PM quit.

Mrs Johnson carried their daughter Romy in a sling and applauded as he addressed the nation this afternoon.

The politician told Brits he has decided to step down after facing one of the biggest rebellions in the country's political history.

And he shared a special word for his wife and children.

"The reason I have fought so hard in the past two days to continue to deliver our mandate in person is not just because I wanted to do so, but because I felt it was my job, duty, and obligation to you," he told voters.

How will the next Tory leader be selected?

Tory leadership elections take place in two stages.

The first stage involves shortlisting candidates for party chief. An MP needs the support of 8 colleagues to make the shortlist.

Once the list is complete two rounds of voting take place to shrink it.

All Tory MPs are allowed to cast votes.

Candidates who don’t meet a certain threshold in the two rounds are eliminated.

Next a further series of ballots take place and in each of these the candidate with the lowest votes is eliminated until only two people remain.

Then stage two kicks off.

The entire Tory membership – not just MPs – vote for who they’d prefer of the two final names.

The winner becomes the next PM.

Timescales for the entirety of Tory leadership elections are determined by the 1922 Committee of backbench MPs.

Boris Johnson QUITS ‘best job in the world’

In front of a packed Downing Street he thanked his supporters and the millions who voted for him but said: "My friends, in politics, no one is remotely indispensable."

He said he was "immensely proud of the achievements of this government" such as Brexit and the vaccine rollout.

Carrie Johnson held their daughter Romy as she gathered in Downing St with the PM's loyalists.

'Being Prime Minister is an education in itself'

Boris ended his speech saying: "Being Prime Minister is an education in itself - I've travelled to every part of UK and I've found so many people possessed of such boundless British originality and so willing to tackle old problems in new ways.

"Even if things can sometimes seem dark now, our future together is golden,"

Does Boris carry on for months or does he go right now? 

Mr Johnson plans to continue as PM until a new leader of the Tory party is in place for the October conference.

The choice to carry on temporarily or go straight away is up to Mr Johnson.

Conservative leadership elections are automatically triggered when a Tory PM resigns.

But Boris has decided to stay on until his party picks a new leader.