Boris Johnson may face another vote of confidence as early as NEXT week

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MPs on the Tory backbench 1922 Committee have agreed to hold elections to its executive on Monday – which might lead to a change in party rules. Some want an immediate rewrite of the rules, which currently protect the Prime Minister from a second vote within 12 months of the last one.

Only once the executive is in place will a decision be taken on whether Mr Johnson can face a second vote sooner – probably before recess on July 21.

His critics aim to win a majority on the executive to enact that change. But the PM won a confidence vote by 211-148 exactly one month ago.

MP Andrew Murrison, who resigned as a trade envoy in protest at his leadership, warned if he did not quit, the 1922 will force him out: “He needs to depart now with dignity.This has a sense of inevitability. Either by more ministerial resignations or the 1922 will change the rules and we will be rid of him. One way or another this will be done.”

Although Mr Johnson claimed his win renewed his mandate to lead the party, 41 percent of Tory MPs voted against him, damaging his authority severely.

Were he to lose a confidence vote, Mr Johnson could not stand for leader.

In that case, several Tory MPs might put themselves forward to replace him.

Once MPs have whittled the candidates down to two, the vote is thrown open to party members.

The current favourite is trade minister Penny Mordaunt, says betting odds site Oddschecker, at 9/2. Seen by some as a dark horse candidate, she came second in blog Conservative Home’s poll of grassroots supporters.

Rishi Sunak is also fancied. Longtipped as a future leader, his prospects took a hit in April when he was fined, with Mr Johnson, for breaching lockdown rules. But he will have earned respect for resigning as chancellor.

Sajid Javid, whose resignation from health began the Cabinet revolt, came fourth last time and will likely have kept support. His forthright resignation letter and Commons statement yesterday may have done his prospects no harm.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has made no secret of her desire for the top job, building up support in Parliament and as a key figure in the Ukraine war response.

While new Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi played a key part in the rollout of the Covid jab as vaccines minister.

Former foreign secretary and one-time health secretary Jeremy Hunt is also expected to run – having been beaten by Mr Johnson in 2019 – although his strong support for lockdowns will not have pleased all the party’s MPs.

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