Replacing Boris Johnson as prime minister needs to be done “properly and professionally, but quickly”, Education Secretary James Cleverly has told Sky News.

But the cabinet minister ruled himself out as a candidate to become prime minister after Mr Johnson’s resignation effectively fired the starting gun on the Conservative Party leadership race.

He also disagreed with Sir John Major’s idea of skipping the vote of grassroots’ members, stressing the need to have leader who was a good campaigner, which Theresa May, having been crowned in the top job, had not been.

Mr Cleverly said: “I am focusing and the government is focusing on the future, which is the right thing to do and the future is about making sure we have a new prime minister and governmental team in place promptly and in the meantime continue to serve the British people.

“He remains prime minister until a new prime minister is found. That’s how our system works.

“Everyone recognises the incentive of doing that properly and professionally, but quickly so that we can get some certainty and so the new prime minister, whoever that may be, can build their team and make sure they are continuing to focus on what really matters and that’s the people of this country.”

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