There has been unhappiness in some Conservative quarters at the idea of Mr Johnson remaining in Downing Street for months until his successor is elected, with suggestions made the Deputy PM Dominic Raab could instead become caretaker Prime Minister while the leadership election takes place.

But speaking on BBC’s Today programme this morning, Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, the treasurer of the 1922 Committee of Tory MPs, said that scenario is now unlikely to happen.

“I think that ship has sailed I think yesterday, everybody (on) this board, they decided that Boris Johnson should remain and he has said very clearly that he won’t be making any major changes during that period. And I think that is a good thing.

Boris Johnson will remain as Prime Minister until a new Tory leader is elected.

“Those ministers who are coming back in a caretaker role, having had resigned (from) work, it will be a little awkward for them.

“I think in an ideal world, Dominic Raab, as Deputy Prime Minister, should have been the caretaker prime minister, but that ship I think has sailed and we must we must now live with the fact that Boris Johnson will be Prime Minister until a successor can be voted on.”

Sir Geoffrey said he wants to see the leadership election concluded as quickly as possible, with MPs whittling down candidates to a final two before a vote of Tory party members.

“In this case, I think there is a lot of competition. And I would be surprised if it didn’t go to the membership in the country.

“I think, actually, under these circumstances with the division in the party, I think it is a good thing that it goes to the to the membership so they have an opportunity to have their say and a vote.”

On Monday, elections will take place to the executive of the backbench 1922 Committee which will then set out the rules and timetable for the leadership contest.

Under current rules, MPs will vote in a series of secret ballots – depending on how many candidates there are – with the final two going forward to a vote of the membership.

The Commons Foreign Affairs Committee chairman Tom Tugendhat has become the first contender to throw his hat in the ring, saying he was putting together a “broad coalition” offering a “clean start”.

Writing in The Daily Telegraph, the former soldier said: “I have served before – in the military, and now in Parliament. Now I hope to answer the call once again as prime minister.”

Among the early favourites are former chancellor Rishi Sunak – who quit on Tuesday helping to trigger a slew of ministerial resignations – and the man who succeeded him, Nadhim Zahawi.

In a sign of what is likely to be a bruising contest, Brexit Opportunities Minister Jacob Rees-Mogg, a Johnson loyalist, launched a stinging attack on Mr Sunak’s record at the Treasury.

“Rishi Sunak was not a successful chancellor. He was a high tax chancellor, and he was a chancellor who was not alert to the inflationary problem,” he told Channel 4 News.

Former Tory minister Andrew Mitchell said the next resident of No 10 needed to be someone “patently moral” who is “uncontaminated” by the previous tenant’s “mistakes”.

He told the BBC: “We need to have a leader who is unsullied, uncontaminated, if you like, by the mistakes. Particularly in the tone of the Government, as well as some of its action, it needs to be someone clearly with experience. Finally, I think it does need to be someone who is patently moral and decent.”

Elsewhere Foreign Secretary Liz Truss – who was returning early from an international gathering in Indonesia – and Defence Secretary Ben Wallace are both thought to have significant support.

Other ministers considering a run include Transport Secretary Grant Shapps, Attorney General Suella Braverman and the Cabinet Office Minister Penny Mordaunt.

From outside the Government, former health secretary Sajid Javid, who also quit on Tuesday, Jeremy Hunt, who was runner-up to Mr Johnson in 2019, and arch Brexiteer Steve Baker may also stand.

Rachel Wolf, co-author of the 2019 Conservative manifesto and founder of polling firm Public First, said a measured leadership race should take place.

“A really fast contest would be terrible,” she told the Times.

“There are some massive choices that haven’t been resolved by this government and which will split voters, the party, or both.”

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"Ship has sailed" on replacing Boris Johnson as PM before leadership election, 1922 Committee Treasurer says