 There was no constitutional precedent as to who should be appointed as his successor, and the situation was further complicated by the UAP's lack of a deputy leader.When the seriousness of Lyons' condition became apparent, Earle Page—the leader of the Country Party and "de facto" deputy prime minister—called a cabinet meeting, where it was agreed that he should serve as prime minister on an interim basis while the UAP elected a new leader.He was sworn in by Governor-General Lord Gowrie a few hours after Lyons' death.