British PM Name announcement: The name of the United Kingdom's new prime minister who will replace incumbent Boris Johnson will be announced on September 5, the body responsible for the Tory leadership elections said on Monday. The 1922 Committee of Conservative backbench MPs set out the timetable and rules of play for the elections, which will officially open and also close for nominations on Tuesday.
Graham Brady, chairman of the Conservative Party's backbench 1922 Committee, said the threshold is markedly higher than the required backing of eight MPs seen in the party's usual rules.
So far, 11 candidates led by frontrunners such as British Indian former minister Rishi Sunak and Foreign Secretary Liz Truss have declared their intention to contest. "Certainly, we should have a conclusion and a new leader of the party elected and announced on September 5à The crucial thing is we've arrived at the point we're at and we now have a very clear plan to take things forward and resolve the leadership question," Brady said.
New regulations voted in by the committee during a crucial meeting earlier on Monday mean Tory members of Parliament who put themselves forward to become the leader of the Conservative Party must have the backing of at least 20 other Tory MPs to get on to the ballot.
These candidates will then need at least 30 votes to proceed to the next round or just under 10 per cent of Tory MPs. The first ballot will be held on Wednesday and the second ballot on Thursday when the field is expected to be narrowed down further. There is provision for further ballots next week if the race to get to the final two candidates does not conclude by the end of this week.
Many of the Conservative Party's 358 MPs are yet to declare who they will be supporting, with the shortlist likely to become clearer only as the week progresses.
(With agency inputs)
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