Boris boost as Tory leader race speeds up — with new PM in No.10 by September
Nominations for the new party leader will shut at noon on Thursday, and first vote to be held next Thursday
BORIS Johnson and his Tory leadership rivals were last night racing to sign up MP supporters — after it was announced we will have a new PM by September.
The Tory backbench 1922 Committee announced the process will be at least a month shorter than David Cameron had planned.
That’s a boost for Brexit mastermind Boris, who has a headstart in the race to recruit influential backers.
Nominations to be party leader will close at noon on Thursday and the first vote will be held next Tuesday.
It leaves just a week for around six senior Tories thinking about a run to recruit firm supporters from 331 Tory MPs.
Many MPs are already convinced the contest will end in a showdown between Boris and Home Secretary Theresa May.
Mrs May is the favourite with Tory voters, a YouGov poll for The Times last night showed - 31 per cent back her compared to 23 per cent for Boris.
The Cabinet met for the first time yesterday since the referendum and Mr Cameron’s resignation announcement.
Remain-backing Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said the atmosphere had been “businesslike” — adding that there was “plenty more to do in the next three months.”
But Brexiteer Justice Secretary Michael Gove looked sheepish as he approached the door to No 10.
Employment Minister Priti Patel, who also supported the Leave camp, stayed silent as she walked down Whitehall after the 1½ hour meeting.
The new leader will now be crowned on September 2 once the field has been whittled down to the final two contenders.
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One campaign figure yesterday said Boris had already signed up “quite a large handful of Cabinet and other senior ministers”. They include his Universities Minister brother Jo, Skills Minister Nick Boles and ex-Health Minister Dan Poulter. But more than 40 Remain-backing MPs met in the Commons yesterday lunchtime to plot a “stop Boris” campaign.
Their prime candidates are thought to be Mrs May or Work and Pension Secretary Stephen Crabb. One anti-Boris MP said: “Our members are worried that Boris will end up with the nuclear codes one day.”
Senior 1922 committee members who support BoJo led moves to have the leadership election reduced to a matter of weeks so he can capitalise on the “Brexit bounce”.
One Tory said: “The process is designed to be as swift as possible without looking panicky.”
Mrs May’s campaign was boosted yesterday when it emerged she has the backing of the PM’s closest adviser in the Commons. Gavin Williamson, Mr Cameron’s Parliamentary Private Secretary, said: “She is the candidate who will bring the strongest leadership and do the most to heal the divisions in the party and the country.”
Graham Brady, chairman of the 1922 Committee, said: “I think the view of the party is that we, and the country more generally, really want certainty and would like resolution. And that ought to mean we will have a new PM before the House of Commons returns for its September sitting.
“This was an unanimous view that we really ought to move as swiftly as we reasonably can.”
Candidates will face a first round of voting next Tuesday, where they will be ranked by all Tory MPs in a secret ballot.
The candidate with the least number of votes will be eliminated ahead of another round of voting on Thursday.
This process will take place every Tuesday and Thursday until there are just two left.
They will then face-off in a postal ballot of the 130,000 Conservative Party members.
Mr Cameron had suggested in his resignation announcement on Friday that he would be PM until October.
When told in the Commons he would be standing down a month earlier, he said: “I am your servant, as it were.
“I want to make sure we have stability and continuity in the government of this country,”
Others who have been tipped as leadership candidates, including Mr Crabb, were yet to make their decisions public last night.
But an ally said he would be looking to put together “a team that will represent Britain.”
But after yesterday's Cabinet meeting Mr Crabb stonewalled questions about his ambitions, saying: “This is not about party unity, but national unity.”
Andrea Leadsom, the Brexit backing Energy Minister, is also being urged by colleagues to run.
She did not rule it out, saying: “I’m looking at all sorts of angles and considering. I’m not saying anything at this moment.”
Former Defence Secretary Liam Fox and Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt did not dampen speculation they may run.
Education Secretary Nicky Morgan could also declare before Thursday’s noon deadline.
But Science Minister George Freeman, touted as runner at the weekend, ruled himself out. He tweeted: “Happy to do my bit to reassure the markets by clarifying I am NOT going to standing on a One Nation Reformer ticket in the Conservative leadership.”
George Osborne last night ruled himself out of the running.
The Chancellor was favourite to succeed the PM just six months ago.
Choosing a successor
THE Tory party’s influential 1922 Committee yesterday proposed a timetable to have a new leader in place by September 2 . . .
TOMORROW, JUNE 29: Nominations open at 6pm after a meeting of all Tory MPs.
THURSDAY, JUNE 30: Nominations close at noon.
TUESDAY, JULY 5: First round of voting.
THURSDAY, JULY 7: Second round of voting. Repeated every Tuesday and Thursday until there are only two candidates left.
JULY/AUGUST: Tory members for more than three months vote by post.
SEPTEMBER 2: Winner announced. David Cameron departs Downing Street.