Call for list of succession to be set in law
MP Bone says proposed Bill would ‘give certainty to situation’ of who is charge
A SUCCESSION list detailing who replaces an incapacitated Prime Minister should be guaranteed in law, an MP has said, amid concerns for the health of Boris Johnson.
Conservative Peter Bone welcomed the Government’s foresight to have Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab as Mr Johnson’s formal deputy after the PM prepared to spend another night in intensive care yesterday following a worsening of his coronavirus symptoms on Sunday.
But the MP for Wellingborough said there was a need for legal certainty around who takes over.
Mr Bone’s Prime Minister (Temporary Replacement) Bill could be debated in the Commons this summer and he hopes MPs will support his proposal, which he has moved several times previously over the years.
He said: “The first thing I’d want to say is my thoughts and prayers, and I’m sure those of my constituents, are for Boris and Carrie and hoping they will make a speedy recovery.
“The second point is there had been an ad hoc arrangement put in place so that Dominic Raab became effectively Prime Minister, he’s effectively Prime Minister at the moment, and I’m pleased that happened so there isn’t an immediate crisis.
“But what my Bill tries to do is set out in law the succession – it could have said Foreign Secretary, Chancellor, and so on – as there has to be a question mark if Dominic Raab was to fall ill, who would take over?
“It’s to give certainty to the situation and it is what it says, a temporary Prime Minister replacement.
“As in the circumstances with
BORIS JOHNSON:
Boris, who will I expect be off work for I guess a number of weeks while he recovers, he will then go back to being Prime Minister as soon as he gets better, but in between people need to know who’s in charge.”
He added: “There should be a formal situation, like there is in the United States of America – where you know if the President is incapacitated temporarily then who is the next person who takes over.”
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said yesterday if Mr Raab fell ill, Chancellor Rishi Sunak would take over running the country.
“There is an established order of precedence. The Prime Minister has appointed the Foreign Secretary as his First Secretary of State,” the spokesman said.
“In line with the order of precedence, the Chancellor would follow from the Foreign Secretary.”
It would be a remarkable rise for 39-year-old Mr Sunak, who
Peter Bone, Conservative MP. only became Chancellor in February after Sajid Javid resigned during Mr Johnson’s Cabinet reshuffle.
He had previously held the post of Treasury Chief Secretary, Mr Javid’s deputy, having been promoted to the Cabinet by Mr Johnson when he became Prime Minister last July.
Before that he had been a junior Local Government Minister under Theresa May.
He has however impressed MPs with a series of assured performances, as he set out plans for a series of massive bailouts to prevent the economy collapsing following the coronavirus outbreak.
No 10’s confirmation that he is next in line to stand in for Mr Johnson comes amid reports of tension between senior Ministers as they grapple to control the epidemic.
It comes as the Queen sent a message to Mr Johnson’s fiancee Carrie Symonds and the Prime Minister’s family, saying her thoughts are with them and that she wishes him a full and speedy recovery.
Mr Johnson is the 14th Prime Minister of the Queen’s reign. She is being kept informed of his condition in intensive care by Downing Street.
The Duke of Cambridge has also tweeted a personal message, signing it off with his initial “W”, and saying: “Our thoughts are with the Prime Minister and his family, who like so many in the UK and around the world are affected by coronavirus.
“We wish him a speedy recovery at this difficult time. W.”
The Prince of Wales, who has recovered from Covid-19, sent a message from himself and the Duchess of Cornwall to Mr Johnson on Tuesday, also wishing him a “speedy recovery”, Clarence House said.
Buckingham Palace said the Queen’s message was conveyed through Mr Johnson’s office.
There should be a formal situation, like there is in the USA.