The Labor Party apparently wants to request a vote of no confidence in Prime Minister Boris Johnson, which could take place as early as this Wednesday.

Several newspapers quoted sources from the opposition party on Tuesday.

Labor MP James Murray spoke of "the last chance" to get Johnson "out of Downing Street" before the start of the summer recess.

In a television interview he said: "Boris Johnson should go now and we hope that the Conservative MPs will agree with us".

Jochen Buchsteiner

Political correspondent in London.

  • Follow I follow

The government has discretion to grant the request, but traditionally it is not denied.

The last no-confidence votes in the House of Commons were against Theresa May in 2019 and against John Major in 1994;

both were won by the incumbents.

It is unlikely that the House of Commons will vote no-confidence in Johnson because this could result in new elections.

Tory MPs, who have a clear absolute majority in Parliament, are opposed to snap elections because they are behind the Labor Party in polls.

While some have criticized Johnson for wanting to remain in office until a successor is elected, despite his resignation, the party's energies are now focused on choosing candidates.

The parliamentary group committee responsible for the party's internal election ("1922 Committee") had set new rules on Monday evening.

After that, candidates must have 20 supporters to get on the ballot;

each MEP may support only one candidate.

In order to survive the first round of voting, they must be elected by at least 30 MPs.

This first round is scheduled to take place this Wednesday.

In total, the Tory faction has 358 MPs in the 650-seat House of Commons.

In further ballots, the field should then be thinned out to two candidates by July 21 at the latest.

These two will be presented to party members for postal voting.

Appearances by the candidates in halls and on television are planned throughout the election process.

The winner is scheduled to be announced on September 5th.

The new prime minister is expected to be installed shortly thereafter and form a new cabinet.

Public statements of support from MPs and polls of the party's grassroots illustrate differing preferences.

Former Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak leads the faction by some distance.

He is followed by Secretary of State at the Department of Commerce Penny Mordaunt, MP Tom Tugendhaft and Acting Chancellor of the Exchequer Nadhim Zahawi.

According to surveys by the Conservative Home website, Sunak is a distant third in membership.

At the top, with a minimal distance between them, are Penny Morduant and former Secretary of State in the Leveling-up Ministry, Kemi Badenoch.