Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Politics
Daisy Naylor

What happens if Boris Johnson loses his seat in the general election?

As the UK heads to the polls to vote in the 2019 general election today, sitting MPs will be anxiously waiting to hear if they've managed to hang on to their seats.

Incumbent prime minister Boris Johnson has a slim majority of just 5,034, putting him at real risk of losing his seat in the House of Commons.

It's the smallest majority of any sitting prime minister since 1924, and Labour activists have put a lot of effort into campaigning in his Uxbridge constituency.

Johnson didn't even vote for himself , choosing instead to vote in Central London.

Here's what will happen if Boris Johnson actually loses his seat in the general election today:

Will Boris Johnson still be prime minister if he loses his seat?

It is possible for Boris Johnson to remain prime minister even if he loses his seat.

It is likely that a loyal Tory MP in a safe seat would stand down to make way for him. He would then stand in a by-election, which he would likely win.

While there's actually nothing in the constitution that says a member of the government has to be an MP, it's arguably not that politically acceptable these days.

Johnson's Uxbridge and South Ruislip seat is expected to be declared at around 4:30am.

Exit polls - which will indicate the results of the election - will be released at 10pm, once polls have closed.

Who would be MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip?

The Labour candidate standing against Boris Johnson is Ali Milani. If he manages to win the seat, he will be the first person to ever unseat a UK prime minister.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.