Just over six weeks after Britain’s Conservatives chose Liz Truss to replace Boris Johnson as prime minister, a new leader must again be chosen.
This time, progress is expected to be much faster than the two-month case that brought Ms. Truss to power. There will be no protracted campaign, with results scheduled next week, possibly as early as Monday.
This is how the next leader will be chosen.
Who will choose the new prime minister?
Like Ms. Truss, the country’s next leader will not be chosen by a vote of the general people.
Instead, the 357 Conservative members of Parliament and perhaps the 170,000 membership dues of the Conservative Party will choose the party’s next leader, who will then become prime minister. The members of the party more likely more than 67 million remaining residents of the country are male, older, middle-class and white, according to demographic research published in 2018.
How will the process go?
The 357 Conservative members of Parliament have until 2pm on Monday to submit nominations for their preferred candidate. Candidates must receive at least 100 nominations to be considered, which means no more than three can be nominated in the process.
If only one candidate earns 100 nominations, the process is over and that person will be the next prime minister.
If two candidates reach the threshold, Conservative members of Parliament will vote to determine which candidate has the most support. If the second-place finisher does not drop out, about 170,000 party members will participate in an online vote that ends on Friday, when the results are announced.
If the three candidates receive 100 nominations, the lawmakers’ vote on Monday will eliminate one candidate, with the top two candidates advancing to an online vote.
Don’t they just do this?
Basically, but by a different process. When Mr Johnson stepped down in July, eight Conservatives were nominated for the position, with the field being shortened through five rounds of voting among members of Parliament. Ms. Truss defeated the runner-up, Rishi Sunak, in a vote out of 170,000 party membership fees.
It took almost two months from Mr Johnson’s resignation on 7 July to when Ms Truss was selected on 5 September.
When will we know who the next prime minister is?
It could be as early as Monday if only one candidate has received more than 100 nominations, or if the second-place finisher is eliminated. If it were to be included in an online vote among party members, the vote would end on Friday.
Who are the forerunners?
Mr Sunak, the former prime minister of the Exchequer under Mr Johnson, is among the favorites, as is Penny Mordaunt, leader of the House of Commons.
And a familiar name may return: Mr Johnson, who resigned after a series of scandals, supposed to be a very real possibility.
Journalists have public confirmation tracking among members of Parliament on Friday, with Mr Sunak and Mr Johnson leading the way. Read more about the candidates here.
