The statement said that Raab would be the standby leader and would “deputize” for Johnson “where necessary.”

Unlike the United States, Britain doesn’t have black-and-white rules for who takes over when the leader is no longer able to do the job. There is no one with the title “deputy prime minister.” But even before Johnson was first taken to the hospital Sunday evening, he had nominated Raab to stand in for him if he was needed.

This means that Raab, 46, will be coordinating the nation’s efforts to tackle the coronavirus outbreak at an extraordinary time in the country’s history.

Raab is known to be extremely loyal to Johnson, which may explain why he was tapped to fill in. Even as he was assuming the leadership role, Raab was keen to stress that he would focus on implementing instructions that Johnson wanted carried out.

“There’s an incredibly strong team spirit behind the prime minister,” Raab told the BBC late Monday. He said that the …continued .
[Source: Washington Post]