The winner of the Conservative leadership contest will be announced at about 12.30pm today as Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak finally discover which one of them will replace Boris Johnson in No 10.
The long-running battle to be the next prime minister will soon draw to a close with the chairman of the 1922 Committee of Conservative MPs, Sir Graham Brady due to announce the winner at 12.30pm together with the number of Conservative Party members who voted.
According to sources Ms Truss and Mr Sunak will have been told who has won the contest ten minutes in advance. The winner will then deliver a short speech.
According to the Telegraph Ms Truss is viewed as the overwhelming favourite in the leadership election and “a victory for Mr Sunak would stun Westminster.”
Once the announcement has been made, the winner will then spend the afternoon and evening finalising their choices for their Cabinet and wider ministerial roles before formally becoming Prime Minister tomorrow.
The winning candidate and Prime Minister Boris Johnson will then travel to Scotland tomorrow where Mr Johnson is expected to announce his resignation to the Queen with his successor appointed by the monarch shortly after.
After the new prime minister has been appointed, the Court Circular will record that “the prime minister kissed hands on appointment.”
The audiences at Balmoral will take place in the estate’s drawing room.
