What happens if Boris Johnson resigns as Prime Minister

Boris Johnson's leadership is in crisis after Rishi Sunak quit as chancellor and Sajid Javid resigned as health secretary on Tuesday afternoon.

The resignations came as Mr Johnson was forced into a humiliating apology over his handling of the Chris Pincher row after it emerged he had forgotten about being told of previous allegations of “inappropriate” conduct. Mr Pincher quit as deputy chief whip last week following claims that he groped two men at a private members’ club, but Mr Johnson was told about allegations against him as far back as 2019.

The Prime Minister’s authority had already been damaged by a confidence vote which saw 41 per cent of his MPs vote against him. The loss of crunch by-elections in Tiverton and Honiton and Wakefield in June triggered the resignation of party chairman Oliver Dowden.

READ MORE: Latest odds on Boris Johnson resigning and who could replace him as Prime Minister

But the resignations of Mr Javid – a former leadership contender – and Mr Sunak, viewed as a potential successor to the Prime Minister, mean Mr Johnson’s position is now perilous. Odds have been slashed on Mr Johnson quitting as Prime Minister following a string of controversies over the last year, including the partygate scandal.

But what happens when a Prime Minister steps down and how will a new leader be selected? Here's what you need to know.

Under conventions of the UK's unwritten constitution, Britain must have a Prime Minister at all times. Because of that, a standing PM will usually offer their resignation but continue to lead until a replacement is found.

If Mr Johnson offers his resignation, it will automatically trigger a Tory leadership contest, but that can take several weeks to complete. Leadership contests