Thread by @JohnRentoul

I wrote on Sunday about a scenario that hasn’t been much discussed: what happens if MPs block a no-deal Brexit & Johnson simply resigns as PM? independent.co.uk/voices/boris-j…

(The argument being that Johnson would refuse to ask for A50 extension & would rather fight an election with clean hands)

I speculated that this, rather than a co-ordinated plan by opposition & Tory rebels, could be how Ken Clarke emerges as temporary PM

But what *would* happen if the PM resigned? Queen’s advisers would have to suggest she send for someone

I assume no one in the cabinet wd put themselves forward as temp PM, starting with Dominic Raab, Johnson’s deputy as 1st secretary

This is what the cabinet manual says. So who is more likely to command the confidence of the Commons, Corbyn or Clarke?
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/upl…

If there were a forced-choice vote of MPs, Clarke would win, because Con, DUP, Change & most of the 15 independents wd prefer him
parliament.uk/mps-lords-and-…

Not that there would be such a vote, because parliament only does Aye-No votes & Con MPs wd not want to pass what wd in effect be a motion of confidence in a Clarke govt

But question for Queen’s advisers is: who wd have most support as caretaker PM to agree an extension & supervise an election?

I think that would be Clarke (& he would be better placed than, eg, Harriet Harman, to gain implied & temporary confidence of Tory MPs)

Here is a long footnote on how exactly Ken Clarke could become temporary PM facebook.com/MrJohnRentoul/…