New UK prime minister to be announced on September 5

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The new UK prime minister to replace outgoing Boris Johnson will be announced on September 5, according to the ruling Conservative party, with 11 candidates currently vying for the position.

Johnson, 58, was forced to resign last week following a frenzy of more than 50 resignations from his government in opposition to his scandal-plagued premiership.

On Monday, the influential 1922 Committee of non-ministerial Conservative MPs in parliament laid out a timetable for the party's leadership election.

Nominations will be officially opened and closed on Tuesday, with a new prime minister to be installed when parliament returns from its summer recess on September 5, according to Graham Brady, chair of the 1922 Committee.

Tory MPs will use a series of ballots to narrow the current list down to a final two candidates, with the worst-performing candidate eliminated after each round, before party members vote on the winner.

With calls for Johnson to leave Downing Street as soon as possible – and to avoid the process extending into MPs' summer vacations – the numbers are likely to be reduced to just two very quickly.

The joint-executive secretary of the 1922 Committee, Bob Blackman, said they were committed to doing that before parliament breaks for the summer on July 21.

The first ballot will be held on Wednesday, with a second ballot likely on Thursday, said Brady. 

Johnson refuses to back any Conservative leadership contenders

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday he would not back any contender in the Conservative leadership race during the waning weeks of his tenure.

"There's a contest underway and it's happened, and I wouldn't want to damage anybody's chances by offering my support," Johnson told Sky News.

The 58-year-old said it was his job to oversee the election process in the coming weeks after he tendered his resignation on Thursday.

"I'm determined to get on and deliver the mandate that was given to us, but my job is really just to oversee the process in the next few weeks, and I'm sure that the outcome will be good," the Prime Minister considered.

It seems that the public has to think about a replacement for #BorisJohnson in case he is ousted, especially after the many rapid resignations his troubled government is facing. pic.twitter.com/NIrzrFf3JP

— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) July 6, 2022

Moreover, British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace, one of the frontrunners to succeed Johnson, had announced that he would not compete in the leadership election.

It is noteworthy that the Tory party's 1922 Committee would set a timetable for a leadership contest. For a Tory MP to enter the race for prime minister, they should be nominated by eight colleagues.

If more than one MP wanted to run as prime minister, a series of secret ballots would be held to settle for one Tory nominee.