A political era ended Monday – unexpectedly and without an election – as Prime Minister David Cameron said he will step down in two days in favor of Theresa May, a senior member of his Cabinet who will become Britain’s second female leader.
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Mr Cameron’s replacement wasn’t supposed to be confirmed until September, but that all changed yesterday when Ms May’s rival Andrea Leadsom quit the two-way Conservative leadership contest, saying she didn’t have enough support.
With so many Labour MPs in opposition to their leader, there is a risk of the party splitting if Corbyn makes it on the ballot and secures a repeat of September’s landslide victory.
The comparison with Thatcher, the “Iron Lady” who governed from 1979 to 1990 and refashioned Britain in line with her free-market ideology, appeals to many Tories.
Lib Dem leader Tim Farron said: ‘With Theresa May’s coronation we need an early general election.
“I welcome the fact that Mrs May has indicated that the United Kingdom will exit the European Union in keeping with the result of the referendum”, said the First Minister.
May, like Cameron, was known for her desire for the country to remain in the European Union and it has been noted that she is now committed to making a success of a plan that she did not support in the first place.
“Brexit means Brexit, and we’re going to make a success of it”, she said.
He tried to “detoxify” the party brand in part by avoiding discussion of the European Union, which has split the Conservatives since Margaret Thatcher’s premiership in the 1980s.
Mrs May said: “During this campaign my case has been based on three things – first the need for strong, proven leadership to steer us through what will be hard and uncertain economic and political times”.
The eurozone’s top official says it’s important that Britain’s next prime minister gets on with sorting out the implications of Britain’s decision to leave the European Union as soon as possible.
Canterbury representative Julian Brazier also voted Leave and said: “I am sad that Andrea Leadsom chose to withdraw”.
“She will have my full support”, he added.
Mr Cameron will chair a farewell meeting of Cabinet ministers on Tuesday.
“We will have hard negotiations with Britain, it will not be easy”, said German Chancellor Angela Merkel who insisted that Britain would not be able to get free access to the EU’s single market without accepting free movement of people.
Speaking outside parliament, Ms May made clear that, although she opposed Brexit, there was no question of seeking to reverse or undermine the referendum outcome. She would never normally be seen as a prime minister, and her views were so extreme – marriage should only be for Christians, not gays; bring back fox-hunting – that she probably could not win a general election. Theresa May is set to become Britain’s next prime minister after her only rival pulled out in a dramatic twist Monday as turmoil sweeps the political scene following the Brexit vote.
Britain’s new Conservative Party leader Theresa May speaks to members of the media at The St Stephen’s entrance to the Palace of Westminster in London on July 11, 2016.
She paid tribute to the other candidates in the campaign especially Ms Leadsom for the “dignity” she has shown.
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“The economy doesn’t need uncertainty, it needs certainty, so in the next few days we should move to put her in the position of prime minister so she can lead the country and provide unity”, Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne told MSNBC in an interview in NY on Monday.
