The day after Boris Johnson's exit speech, regret and relief mixed with suspicion and political maneuvering in the British public.

Several conservative newspapers, which recently suggested that the prime minister should resign, praised his achievements on Friday or lamented the move.

Jochen Buchsteiner

Political correspondent in London.

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"What on earth have they done?" asked the Daily Mail in large letters.

The collective sigh of relief from Johnson's opponents, on the other hand, was associated with anger that he was not leaving immediately and with doubts about his announcement.

"It's not until a stake is pierced through his heart that we can be sure he's gone," wrote one columnist.

Johnson said on Thursday that he was paving the way for the election of a new Tory leader.

Until this is determined, he will remain in office as Prime Minister.

That sparked a debate about whether the selection process could be shortened or whether Johnson could be replaced by an interim prime minister, such as his deputy Dominic Raab.

Labor retreat is too slow

But with the rapid filling of cabinet posts that had become vacant as a result of resignations, Johnson had the power of fact on his side on Friday.

"The train has left," said Tory MP Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, who is on the group's influential 1922 Committee.

Incoming Education Secretary James Cleverly - the third in three days - gave assurances that the caretaker government would not make policy decisions that would tie the hands of a new prime minister.

The Labor Party is considering launching a vote of no confidence in Johnson in the House of Commons next week.

This was revealed to the BBC by deputy party leader Angela Rayner.

Apparently the party is hoping for enough Tory MPs who want Johnson out of office with immediate effect.

However, if Johnson were voted out of the House of Commons, there would be new elections, which nobody in the Conservative Party wants at the moment.

The Labor Party feels even more on the moral offensive since Durham police dropped investigations into Labor leaders Keir Starmer and Rayner on Friday.

The two were photographed drinking beer in a constituency office with colleagues during contact restrictions and, unlike Johnson during the “Partygate” affair, had announced their resignations if they had to pay a fine for breaking corona rules.

The “1922 Committee” intends to announce in the coming week how the election process for the Tories is to be structured in terms of content and timing.

It is currently assumed that the parliamentary group will reduce the field of candidates to two in several ballots by the start of the summer break on July 21.

The two would then fight for a majority of the party base in a run-off election until early September, allowing the prime ministerial change to be completed before the party convention in October.

However, the "1922 Committee" is free to raise the hurdles for a candidacy and thus shorten the election procedure;

so far, eight supporters in the parliamentary group have been enough to get on the ballot paper.

It is also conceivable that one of the two remaining candidates will waive the runoff.

Then, as in the case of Theresa May's candidacy in 2016, no primary election would be necessary, and the change could take place before the summer break.

Attorney General Suella Braverman entered the race early.

She stands on the right edge of the party and promises, among other things, to "clean up all the Woke garbage".

MP Steve Baker - also an arch-Brexiteer, but unlike Braverman an early Johnson critic - had also signaled an interest on Thursday.

On Friday, the first Tory with recognized chances declared his candidacy: Tom Tugendhat.

The chairman of the foreign affairs committee and former soldier is attributed to the liberal wing.

According to media reports, at least seven former ministers are currently exploring their chances.

The candidatures will probably have to be officially declared by the beginning of next week.