Prime Minister Boris Johnson has reportedly begun his hunt for a new spokesperson to take part in televised press conferences.

The new role, which has been reported to come with a £100,000 salary, is set to begin in the autumn.

The move comes hot-on-the-heels of the dozens of daily televised press conferences held by Number 10 during the nationwide lockdown between March and June.

What have the Conservative Party said about the new role?

According to the Conservative Party, the role has been descrived as a 'unique opportunity to work at the centre of government, and communicate with the nation on behalf of the Prime Minister.'

What does the role involve?

The spokesperson who lands the new job will be tasked by the PM to provide regular 'on-the-record' televised briefings in a similar style to what the White House does on behalf of the President of the United States in Washington.

Who are Number 10 looking for to take on the job?

According to Number 10, it has been reported that the ideal candidate is someone who has already held senior roles as a spokesperson or a journalist. If successful, the applicant will become a 'trusted political adviser' to the PM.

What does the job advert say?

It states: "You will represent the government and the Prime Minister to an audience of millions on a daily basis, across the main broadcast channels and social media, and have the chance to influence and shape public opinion.

"You will speak directly to the public on the issues they care most about, explaining the government’s position, reassuring people that we are taking action on their priorities and driving positive changes.

"The demands of the post are high and it will appeal to an experienced and confident media operator who would enjoy working on camera and with senior ministers, political advisers, officials and journalists; who would relish the challenge and pace of televised briefing; and who has a strong grasp of foreign and domestic policy issues."

Will the successful applicant be paid £100k a year?

Reports by other media outlets have suggested that the new post may pay about £100,000-a-year - but the advertisement for the taxpayer-funded job adds that the salary is 'to be determined based on experience'.

When is the deadline for the job?

Those interested in the role must email a CV and a statement of suitability before the deadline of Friday, August 21.

How do the press briefings work?

Currently, lobby correspondents – the political reporters based in the Houses of Parliament – have twice daily briefings with the Prime Minister’s spokesman or deputy, who are both civil servants.

The briefings are on the record, meaning they can be quoted and attributed to Number 10, but are not broadcast.

Under the new plans - which were confirmed by Boris Johnson during an interview on radio station LBC earlier this month - the afternoon session will be filmed at 9 Downing Street, while the morning briefing will continue to be held behind closed doors.

Speaking on LBC radio on July 3, Mr Johnson said: “People have liked a more direct, detailed information from the Government about what is going on – and I think that they’ve actually particularly liked our brilliant scientific and medical advisers, possibly more than the politicians to be frank.

“We do think that people want direct engagement and want stuff from us, and so we’re going to have a go at that.”

Mr Johnson added that he would “pop up from time to time” at the briefings.