Britain’s Conservative party starts voting on Tuesday to replace outgoing Prime Minister David Cameron following his resignation in the wake of Britain’s shock decision to leave the European Union.
Britain’s Conservative party starts voting on Tuesday to replace outgoing Prime Minister David Cameron following his resignation in the wake of Britain’s shock decision to leave the European Union.
Interior minister Theresa May is the clear frontrunner, pitching herself as a sober operator capable of unifying a party fractured by June’s referendum and of leading Britain out of the EU.
The new leader will also have to ease fears over Brexit’s effect on the economy, with the Bank of England on Monday moving to boost bank lending as it warned that risks to financial stability “have begun to crystalise”.
Ms May has said she does not plan to invoke Article 50, the formal procedure for leaving the EU, until the end of the year at the earliest, despite pressure from European leaders for a quicker divorce. She campaigned for Britain to stay in the EU but now says that “Brexit means Brexit” and has ruled out an early election or a second referendum — both seen as possible ways of rowing back from the result.
One of her leading rivals, Andrea Leadsom, who campaigned for Brit-ain to leave, has said she wants exit negotiations to be “as short as possible” in order to avoid “prolonged uncertainty”. Ms Leadsom insisted she would drive a hard bargain with Brussels, if elected. “I know how to strike a deal in a tough negotiation,” she said.
Ms May, who campaigned to stay in the EU, has already secured the support of 115 MPs, while Ms Leadsom has 40 declared supporters.
