Boris Johnson fights desperately to hold on to power in the midst of the ongoing Partygate row.
Allies claim there is no possibility of the PM leaving, although he did attend a Downing Street bash during lockdown’s height in May 2020.
But Tory anger is growing with dozens of MPs considering a coup attempt – possibly even before the results of a probe into alleged Whitehall lockdown breaches by top civil servant Sue Gray.
The 2019 election of backbenchers has seen them be especially upbeat amid reports that there was an action meeting, which is being called the “Pork Pie plot” because Melton Mowbray represented one.
Barring resignation, there is a clear process for ousting and replacing the leader – and rebels will be checking the details in case they decide to act.
Is there a way to remove the Tory leader from office?
Conservative Under party rules, MPs are allowed to forcibly vote against their leader.
Sir Graham Brady, chairman of backbench 1922 Committee is responsible for a large part of this responsibility.
His responsibility is to receive letters from MPs requesting to be triggered by a poll.
After being notified of his intention by 15% Tory MPs, he set about implementing the procedure. The threshold at 54 MPs for the Conservatives currently is 360.
Boris Johnson desperately tries to hold onto power in the midst of the Partygate row
Sir Graham Brady (chairman of backbench 1922 Committee) holds a lot of responsibility.
What number of Tory MPs has sent letters to this point?
Letters can be kept confidential by the person who sent them unless they are made public by the MP.
It means Sir Graham is the only one who knows how many letters exist at any given time. He’s also famously secretive.
Although only a few MPs publicly called on Mr Johnson’s departure, it is possible that others sent private letters.
Although estimates from Tories vary from four to many, few people believe that they’re anywhere close to 54.
Is there anything that happens when you cross the threshold?
The leader is elected by a yes or no vote. Technically, he only needs to get support from a simple majority.
The leader becomes immune for one year if they are victorious.
But, it’s unlikely that even a small victory will be enough for you to remain in the post.
What happens to the leader if he or she loses his position?
A leader who fails to get a majority of the votes from MPs is fired. Then, a contest for their leadership position begins.
They are usually the Prime Ministers until another is elected.
MPs reduce the number of candidates in a leadership contest to two. Party members then have final say.
In December 2018, after months of speculation and a confidence vote, enough MPs decided not to have faith in Theresa May’s leadership. The result was a win for Mrs May, which she was then forced from office the summer after (pictured).
What was the last time the replacement mechanism for the leader was used?
In December 2018, after months of speculation and a confidence vote, enough MPs decided not to have faith in Theresa May’s leadership.
Her victory was 200 to 117, which made her immune from another challenge for one year.
She was then forced to resign in the spring of 2018 amid more protests over Brexit. It opened up the doors for Johnson to become the new leader.