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New prime minister to be in place by end of July, Tories announce

A new prime minister will be in No 10 by the end of July, the Tory party has announced – with a fast-tracked process likely to benefit the favourite Boris Johnson.

The Conservative chairman scotched suggestions of a lengthy contest to replace Theresa May, revealing nominations would close within seven days of her resignation on 7 June.

MPs will whittle down the candidates to just two by the end of June – allowing the party’s membership to make their choice “in time for the result to be announced before parliament rises for the summer”.

A speedy contest provides less time for rivals to overhaul Mr Johnson – and less time, some critics of the gaffe-prone former foreign secretary will say, for him to make a fatal mistake.

Some had speculated that the race for Downing Street would run until the end of the summer, with the new leader not installed until September.

But Conservative chiefs, who are desperate to end the drift and disarray of the last few months, have decided the first stage of the process can be completed in just two weeks.

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