The weird way Boris Johnson will officially quit as MP - by getting a new job

The former Prime Minister is expected to achieve one of two titles, potentially within hours - either Steward and Usher of the Chiltern Hundreds or the steward and bailiff of Northstead Manor

The ex-Prime Minister is about to be given a new role (

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Boris Johnson is about to get a new job so he can quit his job as an MP.

The former Prime Minister, like any member of the House of Commons, cannot simply resign from his seat.

Under an archaic process, they must instead be appointed to one of two roles that formally preclude them from sitting as MPs.

So while on Friday night he effectively quit Parliament, he technically remains an MP until the Chancellor of the Exchequer - who is now Mr Johnson's Tory rival in 2019 - hands him over one of two titles:.< /p>

Either he will become Steward and Bailli of the Chiltern Hundreds or Steward and Bailli of Northstead Manor.

As the Houses of Parliament website puts it: "The Steward and Ushers of the Chiltern Hundreds and Northstead Manor were positions traditionally paid by the Crown.

Jeremy Hunt will officially make the announcement (

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"In modern times, these are formal unpaid titles that are requested when an MP is to disqualify himself from the Commons.

"An elected MP has no right to resign: unless he dies or is expelled, he must be disqualified if he wishes to step down before the end of a legislature.

"By law, assuming one of these titles immediately disqualifies a person from being an MP."

In reality, Mr Johnson could hold that title for minutes, as his resignation on Friday night triggered that of a key ally on Saturday: Tory MP for Selby and Ainsty Nigel Adams.

Nadine Dorries had already announced that she was resigning on Friday afternoon.

Emails confirming which future former MP lands which particular post could start falling into journalists' inboxes within hours.

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