Theresa May quits as party leader
http://www.hrlnews.com/2019/06/theresa-may-quits-as-party-leader.html
British Prime Minister Theresa May steps down as leader of her
Conservative Party on Friday, formally triggering the race for a
successor who will try where she failed to deliver Brexit.
May will remain prime minister until a new leader is chosen, likely
in late July, but has relinquished control over the direction of
Britain’s tortuous departure from the European Union.
Brexit is still scheduled for October 31 but while her rivals thrash
it out, the project remains stuck, with the only divorce plan agreed
with Brussels stuck in parliament.
May took office after the 20 16 referendum vote to leave the EU and
has spent the past three years working on the plan, delaying Brexit
twice to try to get it through.
But she finally acknowledged defeat in a tearful resignation speech
last month, the culmination of months of political turmoil that has
slowly sapped all her authority.
Eleven Conservative MPs are currently vying to replace her, including
former foreign minister Boris Johnson, but some are expected to drop
out before Monday’s deadline for nominations.
The winner will have only a few months to decide whether to try to
salvage May’s plan, delay Brexit again – or sever ties with Britain’s
closest trading partner with no agreement at all.
They are under pressure from eurosceptic figurehead Nigel Farage, who
has called for a “no deal” option and whose Brexit party topped
European polls last month.
His party made a strong showing in by-election for the British
parliament in the eastern city of Peterborough on Thursday, but failed
in its goal of winning its first MP.
However, the pro-European Liberal Democrats, who want to reverse
Brexit, also performed well in the European polls, highlighting how
divided Britain remains over its future.