Prime Minister Theresa May announced her resignation from outside 10 Downing Street Friday morning, stating she would be officially stepping down in two weeks time.
In her remarks outside the Prime Minister’s official residence, Theresa May said she had “done her best”, and “everything I can” to deliver Brexit by negotiating a deal with the European Union, but conceded “sadly I was not able to do so”.
Saying it was time for a new Prime Minister to lead Brexit, Mrs May said she would be resigning as leader of the Conservative Party on Friday 7th of June, so that a successor could be chosen.
In doing so, the Prime Minister fires the starting gun on a leadership race that has already been run behind closed doors for weeks. The details of her departure mean Mrs May could remain party leader, and hence Prime Minister, for weeks if not months more.
While she will officially relinquish the title of Conservative party leader in 14 days, May revealed she would also be staying on Prime Minister until her replacement is selected, which depending on how the election runs. When Mrs May became leader following the resignation of David Cameron in the wake of the 2016 EU referendum, she was selected within days as other candidates dropped out to give her a clear run.
In the case of David Cameron’s own ascension to the leadership, it took five and a half months between it being announced, and the final selection.
UPDATE 1205 — May will meet with President Trump before officially stepping down
The personal advantage to the Prime Minister of having a long departure, as seems will be the case with her announcing her resignation two weeks before it will actually happen, and then deciding to stay on as leader until her successor is chosen, is that she’ll get to enjoy all the perks of being boss without the pressure.
The visit will take place from Monday 3rd June to Wednesday 5th June this year. President Trump and Mrs Trump previously joined The Queen for tea at Windsor Castle in July 2018.
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