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SOUTH Oxfordshire's voters were this week still waiting to find out when Boris Johnson will formally stand down as Henley MP.

Mr Johnson beat Ken Livingstone to become the Mayor of London on Friday and will honour his pre-election vow that he will stand down as an MP because he will not be able to do both jobs.

But the timing of the departure and the subsequent by-election, for the seat he has held since 2001, was far from clear in the days following his success.

The indications were that it was imminent, but there was also talk in the Henley Tory party of the by-election possibly not happening until the autumn.

Mr Johnson's spokesman Wayne Lawley said he would make an announcement about stepping down "in due course", but could not give a time estimate. He added: "When Boris steps down it will be a very sad moment for him because he has very much enjoyed his role as Henley MP."

Mr Lawley added a replacement for Mr Johnson was a matter for the constituency association and for the Conservative Party.

Mr Johnson's father Stanley and celebrity chef Anthony Worrall Thompson have both been touted as potential candidates.

Tory leader David Cameron praised Mr Johnson's "very strong start" as London Mayor, but insisted the colourful MP would not be under his control. And the Witney MP refused to say when Mr Johnson would step down as Conservative MP for Henley, but said it would happen "before too long".

Mr Cameron said: "I will be there if he wants to ask my advice and vice versa. But it is now his mayoralty, his decisions, his appointments." He added he did not want to give the Liberal Democrats too much advanced warning of potential dates.

But there was confusion in the days leading to the mayoralty vote when the chairman of Henley Conservative Association, John Walsh, said he hoped Mr Johnson would "keep things ticking over for a period of time" if elected mayor, before adding: "We haven't decided how long that period will be."

Mr Walsh went on to say that in the event of a Johnson victory in the capital, the local party would hope to select a new candidate for Henley "before the summer".

It followed separate comments in a national newspaper in which Mr Walsh raised the possibility of "an autumn or spring by-election". The MP has previously maintained the timing of any resignation is "in the hands of the Henley Conservative Association and the party".

In March, Mr Johnson said he would have to resign from Parliament shortly after beating Ken Livingstone. He told BBC Radio: "I have said throughout this I can't conceivably do both things. There would of course be a by-election very soon afterwards."

Mr Johnson succeeded former Deputy Prime Minister Michael Heseltine as MP for Henley at the 2001 general election with a majority of 8,458. He was re-elected in 2005 with an improved majority of 12,793 and a 53 per cent share of the vote.

Celebrity chef Antony Worrall Thompson has quashed rumours he plans to run for Henley MP if Boris Johnson becomes London Mayor. But Mr Worrall Thompson, a long-time Conservative donor who lives in Shiplake, has not ruled out standing next time around.

Speaking to The Herald, the 57-year-old said: "I believe politicians should be as local as they can be. I think we need a bit of personality in Parliament."

3:22pm Wednesday 7th May 2008

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