BOTH Boris Johnson and Nadine Dorries have resigned as MPs with immediate effect meaning that two by-elections have been triggered.
Johnson had served as the MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip while Dorries seat was in the constituency of Mid Bedfordshire.
The resignations came on the same day Johnson’s resignation honours list was published, which Dorries missed out on.
Here’s everything you need to know about by-elections and how they are triggered.
When will the by-elections take place?
A specific date has not yet been set for when a by-election will take place in either constituency.
The process of starting a by-election comes from the chief whip of the party. This starts by “moving the Writ”, a motion requesting: “That the speaker do issue his Warrant to the Clerk of the Crown to make out a new Writ for the electing Member to serve in this present Parliament for the constituency of… in the room of…”
What is the timetable for this happening?
According to the UK Parliament’s website, a Writ is usually issued within three months of the seat being vacated.
It also explains that if there are many vacant seats then by-elections can take place on the same day.
It also adds: “The by-election timetable is between 21 and 27 working days from the issuing of the Writ.”
What’s the situation in both constituencies?
At the General Election in 2019, Johnson won over 50% of the vote in Uxbridge and South Ruislip.
He collected 25,351 votes while Labour candidate Ali Milani earned 18,441. Since the seat was first created in 2010, it has been won by a Conservative candidate at every election.
In Mid Bedfordshire, you have to go back to 1929 for the last victory by a non-Conservative candidate.
At the last General Election, Dorries received 59.8% of the vote, defeating Labour’s Rhiannon Meades by 38,692 votes to 14,028.
