Sir John Major, the former Conservative Prime Minister, has weighed in on the debate over how long Boris Johnson can stay at Downing Street. In a letter to Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the 1922 committee, Major says it would be "unwise" to let Johnson hold out until the autumn. He says:
The suggestion that the prime minister should remain in office for up to three months after losing the support of his cabinet, government and group is unwise and potentially untenable.
In such circumstances, the Prime Minister retains the patronage and, more importantly, the power to make decisions that will affect the lives of people in all four nations of the United Kingdom and beyond. Some will argue that his new cabinet will hold him back. I only note that his previous cabinet did not and could not do this.
For the greater good of the country, Mr Johnson should not remain at Downing Street any longer than necessary - unless he is able to gain the confidence of the House of Commons - to effect a smooth change of government.
Major says he sees two possible solutions. One would be for Dominic Raab, the deputy prime minister, to take over as acting prime minister until a new party leader is elected. The other would be to change the rules so that only MPs elect the party leader (the system that used to be in place until William Hague changed the rules). Major says MPs could elect a leader who could then be endorsed by party members.
Major accepts that no solution is ideal. But he says that with so many critical issues facing the country, "an imaginative response -- even at the risk of some hurt feelings within the party -- is definitely in the public interest."
Major has shown little appreciation for Johnson since the 1990s, when Johnson, as a Telegraph journalist, frequently caused trouble for Major's government, and since Brexit he has often scathingly criticized Johnson.
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