Theresa May to become new UK prime minister by Wednesday as rival quits race

Theresa May will be the new British Prime Minister by Wednesday. Current leader David Cameron has confirmed he will chair his last Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, take PMQs on Wednesday and then formally resign before the Queen. Mrs May should be in No.10 Downing Street by Wednesday evening. Mr Cameron said he was delighted that there would not be a drawn out leadership race and that Mrs May was the right candidate for the job. The dramatic turn of events was sparked by Mrs May’s rival Andrea Leadsom announcing she was pulling out of the contest shortly after apologising to the Home Secretary after appearing to suggest the fact that she was a mother gave her the edge over the childless Mrs May.

Theresa May carries over 60% of support from the Parliamentary party. She is ideally placed to implement Brexit on the best possible terms for the British people and she has promised that she will do so.

Andrea Leadsom

The energy minister said a nine-week leadership campaign to succeed Mr Cameron at such a critical time for the UK would be “highly undesirable”. Mrs Leadsom said Mrs May - who backed staying in the EU - was ideally placed to implement Brexit and offered the Home Secretary her full support. Mrs May quickly received backing from leading Brexit supporters Michael Gove and Boris Johnson - and the chairman of the Conservatives’ backbench 1922 Committee said there was no need for the leadership contest to be re-run. Mr Gove - who came third in the leadership ballot among MPs - has also backed Mrs May to become PM, saying: “We should now move as quickly as possible to ensure Theresa May can take over as leader. She has my full support as our next prime minister.” Both Labour and the Lib Dems have called for a general election at the earliest opportunity.

She is more than able to provide the leadership that our country is going to need in the years ahead and she will have my full support.

David Cameron

Leadsom May