Groundhog Day

As I understand it, there is nothing constitutionally standing in the way of Boris Johnson being elected as the next Conservative leader and PM, should Rishi Sunak be sent packing.

• There are no constitutional rules stipulating the leader of a party or any cabinet member has to be a sitting MP, as evidenced by David Cameron being Foreign Secretary.
• There are, however, Tory Party rules which stipulate the leader must be a sitting MP. Such rules, however, can be changed.
• He would need to be elevated to the Lords though, as a PM (or cabinet member) must be a member of either the HoC or HoL, which would require the cooperation of Rishi Sunak to elevate him, which is not a given. Countless peers were PM in the 19th Century.
• Holding him to account would be difficult, but not impossible. Select Committees would hold him to account and a proxy could be appointed in the HoC. He would also be held to account in the HoL.

However, given his track record in power and the enemies he's made, it's unlikely the MPs would select him as one of the two candidates to put to the membership and even less likely Rishi Sunak would elevate him. They're not all lunatics.

The Tories would have to hope and pray there wasn't another Pandemic.