The timeline for Boris Johnson to face another no confidence vote in his leadership could be drastically shortened if senior Tories back a rule change on Wednesday night.

Under the current rules of the 1922 Committee of backbench Conservatives, the Prime Minister cannot face another challenge within a year of his shaky victory last month.

But this could be torn up if the group’s executive go ahead with a proposed change to the rules as Mr Johnson’s authority evaporates with a series of ministerial resignations.

– What are the current rules?

The leader must face a vote of confidence of Tory MPs if 15% of the parliamentary party write to committee chairman Sir Graham Brady calling for one.

If the leader survives, however, there cannot be another confidence vote for 12 months – which should mean Mr Johnson is safe until June next year.

However, Conservative critics are demanding a re-write of the rulebook.

– What would the new rulebook look like?

Various possibilities have been floated, including reducing the safety net from 12 to six months, which could mean a vote in early December.

Others reportedly want the issue of Mr Johnson’s future decided before the Commons break for the summer recess later this month.

One compromise suggested is that a second confidence vote could be held if 25% of Tories in the Commons – 90 MPs – submit letters to the 1922 leadership.

– How might this happen?

A crucial meeting of the 1922 executive led by Sir Graham will kick off at 4pm on Wednesday.

The MPs are expected to discuss their next steps, whether the rules should change and when the ‘22 should elect a new executive.

Sometimes dubbed “the men in grey suits”, the election of a new 18-member executive committee had been expected next week.

But Sir Graham is expected to address the issue at the start of a 5pm meeting of the wider committee, which will also be addressed by Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab.

Crucially, the executive has a key role to play in leadership elections, including determining the rules by which a sitting leader can be challenged.

A number of Tory MPs have said they will stand for the committee on the basis they would vote for a rule change if they were elected to enable another confidence vote to take place before next year.

As a result, the election is being seen at Westminster as something of a proxy for a second confidence vote.

– What does the executive say?

As a growing number of Conservative MPs turned on Mr Johnson, one major intervention during Prime Minister’s Questions came from Gary Sambrook.

The 1922 executive member blasted Mr Johnson for his handling of the Chris Pincher fiasco, suggesting there is “nothing left for him to do other than to take responsibility and resign”.

One committee source said suggestions the rule change could be made on Wednesday were being spread by the “anti-Boris lot”.

– Will the PM go quietly?

Mr Johnson would stay and fight any fresh confidence vote, according to his press secretary, though she described last month’s ballot as “clear and decisive”.

She also said the Prime Minister is confident he retains the support of his backbenchers today.