Update July 11, 4:30 p.m.: In a short statement, David Cameron announced this afternoon that he will resign as Prime Minister on Wednesday following his final Prime Minister's Questions, according to the BBC. Theresa May will then take over as PM.
This story was originally published at 2pm, July 11, 2016.
Theresa May, the Home Secretary, is about to become the next UK Prime Minister. After a dramatic morning in which her rival Andrea Leadsom withdrew her candidacy for the top job, it has been confirmed that May will automatically take the role very soon. Now that the contest is over, it seems May could become PM within days – much earlier than the originally intended date of the 9th of September, according to the BBC. It is thought that David Cameron may want to do a final session of Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday before he leaves Number 10, The Guardian reported, meaning May could be Prime Minister as soon as this Thursday. It was a tumultuous weekend for Leadsom, who caused outrage after she controversially implied that being a mother would make her a better PM than May, who does not have children. It appears the criticism became too much. A source close to Leadsom said the abuse she received during the contest "[had] been too great", the BBC reported. In a statement, Leadsom said she didn’t believe she had enough support to enable her to lead a "strong and stable government". She also said it would be "highly undesirable" to hold a nine-week leadership campaign at such a "critical time" for the UK. Leadsom conceded that May was "ideally placed" to implement Brexit, and wished her former rival the "greatest success". Leadsom also apologised to May this morning, before she quit the leadership race, for the motherhood remark she made at the weekend.
Theresa May, the Home Secretary, is about to become the next UK Prime Minister. After a dramatic morning in which her rival Andrea Leadsom withdrew her candidacy for the top job, it has been confirmed that May will automatically take the role very soon. Now that the contest is over, it seems May could become PM within days – much earlier than the originally intended date of the 9th of September, according to the BBC. It is thought that David Cameron may want to do a final session of Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday before he leaves Number 10, The Guardian reported, meaning May could be Prime Minister as soon as this Thursday. It was a tumultuous weekend for Leadsom, who caused outrage after she controversially implied that being a mother would make her a better PM than May, who does not have children. It appears the criticism became too much. A source close to Leadsom said the abuse she received during the contest "[had] been too great", the BBC reported. In a statement, Leadsom said she didn’t believe she had enough support to enable her to lead a "strong and stable government". She also said it would be "highly undesirable" to hold a nine-week leadership campaign at such a "critical time" for the UK. Leadsom conceded that May was "ideally placed" to implement Brexit, and wished her former rival the "greatest success". Leadsom also apologised to May this morning, before she quit the leadership race, for the motherhood remark she made at the weekend.