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Agence France-Presse

British Prime Minister Theresa May formally notified her Conservative Party on Friday that she had resigned as party leader, opening the way for a succession contest that will determine the country’s next prime minister.
May will remain prime minister until a new leader is chosen, likely in late July, but has relinquished control over the direction of Britain’s tortuous departure from the European Union.
Brexit is still scheduled for October 31 but while her rivals thrash it out over the leadership, the project remains stalled, with the only divorce plan agreed with Brussels stuck in parliament.
May took office after the shock 2016 referendum vote to leave the EU and has spent the past three years working on a departure plan, delaying Brexit twice to try to get it through.
How the Tories will pick Britain’s next leader
But she finally acknowledged defeat in a tearful resignation speech last month, the culmination of months of political turmoil that has slowly sapped all her authority.
Eleven Conservative MPs are currently vying to replace her, including former foreign minister Boris Johnson, but some are expected to drop out before Monday’s deadline for nominations.




The winner will have only a few months to decide whether to try to salvage May’s plan, delay Brexit again – or sever ties with Britain’s closest trading partner with no agreement at all.
The government is under pressure from Eurosceptic figurehead Nigel Farage, who has called for a “no deal” option and whose Brexit party topped European polls last month.
His party suffered a setback after narrowly missing out on winning its first parliamentary seat, losing to Labour in a by-election in the eastern city of Peterborough on Thursday.
But despite winning, Labour’s vote share fell by 17 per cent while the Tories’ vote plummeted by 25 per cent, highlighting the task facing May’s successor.
Donald Trump plays Brexit kingmaker
Polling guru John Curtice told the BBC that the result showed Britain was now in a “different political world”.
Conservative front runner Johnson warned that his party “must deliver Brexit by October 31 or we risk Brexit Party votes delivering Corbyn to No 10”, referring to Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.
Meanwhile, leadership rival Jeremy Hunt warned that there was “no future for our party” until Britain leaves the EU.
May put on a brave face this week when hosting US President Donald Trump for a state visit, before joining him and other world leaders to mark 75 years since the D-Day landings.

But Trump used the trip to speak with Johnson and other candidates to replace her, emphasising where the political power in Britain now lies.
“She remains prime minister for a good few weeks yet,” May’s spokesman insisted, noting that any successor must meet Queen Elizabeth and assure the monarch they have the support of enough lawmakers to take over.
Trump has been highly critical of May’s Brexit strategy and ahead of his visit to Britain he urged her successor to leave the bloc with no deal if necessary.
Johnson, a leading campaigner in the 2016 referendum, who quit the government last year over May’s plan, is among several would-be candidates who say they are willing to do this.
Boris Johnson launches campaign to become next British PM
Johnson cleared one hurdle on Friday by fending off a legal action brought by a citizen, who accuses him of misconduct in public office for making misleading statements during the 2016 campaign about how much money Britain sends to the EU.
Judge Michael Supperstone said the High Court was “quashing the decision of the district judge” to summons the former foreign secretary, bringing an end to the case.
Johnson’s lawyers told the court that the earlier ruling ordering him to answer the claims “erred in law” and that the former London mayor was the victim of a “politically-driven process”.
Nominations for the Conservative leadership contest must be submitted on Monday, and the 313 Conservative MPs – including May – will hold the first of a series of secret ballots on Thursday.
With the worst performers eliminated each time, the goal is to have two candidates left by June 20. They will then be put to a ballot of an estimated 100,000 party members.
The contest should be completed by the week commencing July 22.


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Theresa May

Theresa May stands down as Conservative Party leader, starting succession race

Theresa May lays a wreath during the Royal British Legion Service of Remembrance at the Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery at Bayeux, France. Photo: EPA-EFE

Conservative MP Boris Johnson leaves a house in London on June 7, 2019. - Boris Johnson, considered the frontrunner to become Britain's next prime minister, is Friday challenging a private prosecution bid accusing him of misconduct in public office over the claim that Britain sends £350 million ($440 million, 400 million euros) a week to the European Union. (Photo by Daniel LEAL-OLIVAS / AFP)

British Prime Minister Theresa May. Photo: Reuters

Brexit Britain: how the Tories will pick PM Theresa May’s successor

Larry, the Downing Street cat, sits outside the front door of 10 Downing Street, London. Photo: Reuters

Conservative MP Boris Johnson leaves his residence in south London on May 28, 2019. (Photo by Daniel LEAL-OLIVAS / AFP)

(FILES) In this file photo taken on March 28, 2019 Britain's Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Secretary Michael Gove goes on a morning jog in west London on March 28, 2019. - The race to become Britain's next premier heated up on May 26, 2019 as Environment Secretary Michael Gove joined an already crowded field of hopefuls with competing visions of how to finally pull their divided country out of the EU. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP)

Donald Trump plays Brexit kingmaker

UK Prime Minister Theresa May is set to step aside, and US President Donald Trump has fully cast his lot with political leaders pushing for Britain to crash out of the European Union. Photo: Reuters

US President Donald Trump (2R), US First Lady Melania Trump (R), Britain's Prince Charles, Prince of Wales (2L), and his wife Britain's Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, pose for a photograph ahead of a dinner at Winfield House, the residence of the US Ambassador, where US President Trump is staying whilst in London, on June 4, 2019, on the second day of the US President's three-day State Visit to the UK. - US President Donald Trump turns from pomp and ceremony to politics and business on Tuesday as he meets Prime Minister Theresa May on the second day of a state visit expected to be accompanied by mass protests. (Photo by Chris Jackson / POOL / AFP)

epa07624794 Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn speaks during an anti-Trump protest against US President Donald J. Trump State visit to the UK in London, Britain, 04 June 2019. US President Trump and First Lady Trump are on a three-day official visit to Britain. EPA-EFE/ANDY RAIN

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Eleven Conservative MPs are currently vying to replace her, including former foreign minister Boris Johnson
May will remain prime minister until a new leader is chosen, likely in late July


Eleven Conservative MPs are currently vying to replace her, including former foreign minister Boris Johnson.


Britain

Brexit

European Union

Theresa May stands down as Conservative Party leader, starting succession race

.css-1mniedq{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;}Eleven Conservative MPs are currently vying to replace her, including former foreign minister Boris Johnson May will remain prime minister until a new leader is chosen, likely in late July

Eleven Conservative MPs are currently vying to replace her, including former foreign minister Boris Johnson

May will remain prime minister until a new leader is chosen, likely in late July