Later today, David Cameron will go to Buckingham Palace to resign, before his successor Theresa May will have a meeting with the Queen to formalise her position of prime minister.
Advertisement
The moment was bittersweet. Culture Secretary John Whittingdale said there had been a “touch of sadness” to the meeting, which saw May and Treasury chief George Osborne lead tributes to Cameron.
Britain’s Prime Minister David Cameron leaves through a rear entrance after a Cabinet meeting at number 10 Downing Street in central London, Britain, on Tuesday.
She arrived at the palace by ministerial vehicle with her husband Philip May, having set off from the House of Commons after Mr Cameron was officially accepted by the Queen.
“I am personally delighted at your appointment”, said Cardinal Nichols.
Cameron resigned after Britons voted – against his advice – to leave the EU. May will have to deal with the political fallout and oversee the complex process of separating from the bloc.
The incoming prime minister is known for her support of Israel, including during Israel’s 2014 Operation Protective Edge against Hamas in Gaza.
The economic impact of the Brexit vote was immediate and pretty brutal.
May, who backed remaining in the European Union, will also be expected to reward prominent campaigners for a “leave” vote with key jobs.
She will make appointing a cabinet minister to take charge of Brexit one of her first tasks as she enters No 10 as Britain’s second female PM. But Tony Travers of the London School of Economics said May would likely not rush to trigger Article 50 of the European Union constitution, which starts a two-year countdown to a final exit.
Markets have also been in turmoil since the vote, with the pound hovering at 31-year low, commercial property under strain and government bonds yields sinking to new lows. However, no major country has ever left the bloc before so it is not entirely clear if some way could be found to keep Britain from leaving even after the process has started if that’s what British and European Union leaders want.
Not to mention a Conservative Party whose infighting over Europe prompted Cameron to call a referendum in the first place – much to his spectacular downfall.
However – crucially – it says nothing about whether the leader is automatically on the ballot or requires nominations too.
Passions around the issue ran high.
Former shadow minister Owen Smith said Wednesday he will challenge embattled party leader Jeremy Corbyn and former Labour business spokeswoman Angela Eagle in the contest.
Advertisement
Mrs May will then have an audience with the Queen, when she accepts the monarch’s offer to form a new government and will, in keeping with tradition, “kiss hands” with the head of state. He will remain a lawmaker for Whitney in central England. While his Conservative colleagues stood, the opposition Labour Party members remained seated.
