Is it standard practice for the PM to resign as party leader if they lose the GE?

[beeonmybonnett]

If the tories lose the upcoming GE, is it not a given that Sunak would have to step down as Tory leader?

No, it varies. Fairly common though

Usually they would step down. Can't see Rishi staying on if/when Tories lose on 4 July.

Yes, it is. Not always the case, but usually yes.

No. It's only a recent trend. Go back 30+ years and it hardly ever happened. Which is why, say, Harold Wilson was PM more than once, but with a big gap in between terms.

He won’t hang around - Nigel Farage is waiting for his job.

Not always , but they generally do resign.

It is if you are wanting to have a nice relaxing summer with your family after losing the GE.

Depends. Churchill and Wilson for instance were PMs who lost elections and then won subsequent ones.

Working backwards in more recent times:

Cameron stepped down after losing a referendum not a general election of course.

Brown hadn’t necessarily lost as there was no single party majority but went when it was clear LD/Con talks progressing if I remember properly.

Then… Major? Think he resigned PM and Con leadership pretty simultaneously.

Callaghan? Stayed on 5 months. He was going, but there were internal party tussles over how the leader would be elected and his hanging on was part of the game.

Heath? Stayed on but then 3 months later Thatcher challenged and he stepped down after the first round of the party leadership vote.

No

It's a recent blip - post 1997 IIRC

Never really happened before that, and the 70s were chaotic enough without parties changing leaders all the time