Outgoing British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that he will continue to lead the government until a new leader is chosen for the Conservative Party, while a number of party leaders, including a former minister, announced their official candidacy to succeed him.

The political scene is witnessing controversy over the outgoing Prime Minister Johnson's survival in the political scene, after his resignation from the Conservative leadership, as he said that he would continue to head the government until a new leader for the Conservative Party was chosen.

Johnson's spokesman said the government was continuing with previously agreed policies, such as deporting migrants to Rwanda.

He added that the government crisis would not affect the progress of the project related to the Northern Ireland Protocol, which was signed following Britain's exit from the European Union.

Johnson added that the process of selecting a new leader would begin now, and the timetable would be announced next week by the Conservative Party's 1922 Committee.

In this context, Education Secretary James Cleverly said on Friday that he did not agree with calls for Johnson to step down immediately, pointing out that the Conservative Party needed to conduct a full contest to find the best leader.

On the other hand, Labor Party leader Keir Starmer demanded - at a press conference Friday - the Conservative Party to sack Johnson now rather than waiting for the next leader.

"If they don't, we will have a vote of no-confidence," he warned.


Johnson's successors

In a related context, British MP Kimi Badenouche, a member of the Conservative Party, said today that she will run for the position of the next prime minister to replace Johnson.

"I am running in this leadership election because I want to tell the truth," Badenouch told The Times.

On Friday, former Treasury Secretary Richie Sunak announced his candidacy for the party leadership.

"Somebody has to seize this moment and make the right decision, which is why I'm running to be the next Conservative leader and your prime minister," the minister said in a video posted to Twitter advertising his candidacy.

Sunak resigned on Tuesday, one of two unexpected resignations that set in motion the chain of events that prompted Johnson to decide to step down.

Earlier, Attorney General Suila Braverman and Chairman of the Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee Tom Tugenhat announced their official candidacy for the party leadership, while the British press says that there are 12 possible candidates so far to succeed Johnson.

Next week, the party committee is scheduled to determine the rules and timetable for the competition to choose a new leader

Johnson had won the largest majority of the Conservative Party in decades in the 2019 elections, but his prime minister was recently shaken against the backdrop of multiple scandals, the most famous of which is his violation of the anti-Corona rules known as “Party Gate” and hosting a party at the Government House in London, in light of widespread anger at his policies and accusing him of lying.