United Kingdom Prime Minister Theresa May announced her resignation as leader of Britain’s Conservative Party on Friday after her failure in finding a solution for the Brexit dilemma between the UK and Europe.
May’s resignation from leading the ruling party in the UK means that she has to leave her post and the new leader of the party will be the UK’s prime minister. She said that she will depart on 7 June.
“It is and will always remain a matter of deep regret to me that I have not been able to deliver Brexit,” said May. She spent about three years to finish the Brexit deal but she failed.
May said she will remain to serve as prime minister until a Conservative leadership contest takes place. The party said that a new leader will hopefully be in place by the end of July.
“I feel as certain today as I did three years ago that in a democracy, if you give people a choice you have a duty to implement what they decide. I have done my best to do that,” she added. “I have done everything I can to convince MPs to back that deal. Sadly, I have not been able to do so,” May said.
In July 2016, May said “We have the challenge of Brexit, and Brexit does mean Brexit, and we’re going to make a success of it,” but she failed.
The UK was set to leave the European Union on 29 March, but the House of Commons was unable to agree to the deal, so the EU allowed a six-month extension, necessitating Britain’s participation in the election of a new European Parliament.
On 10 July, the Conservative Party will vote to choose a new prime minister for the kingdom. The next UK prime minister is likely to be one of the two main candidates for the post. Boris Johnson, the former secretary of state, is favourite to replace May.
According to a poll of the party’s members, Johnson was the first choice of 39% of the members, while his closest member was Dominic Raab, who is the first preference for 13% of the party’s members.
On his Twitter account, Johnson wrote “A very dignified statement from Theresa May. Thank you for your stoical service to our country and the Conservative Party.”
Stressing determinism for the deal, he added “It is now time to follow her urgings: to come together and deliver Brexit.”
Leader of the Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn, wrote that “Theresa May is right to resign. She’s now accepted what the country’s known for months: she can’t govern, and nor can her divided and disintegrating party.”
“Whoever becomes the new Tory leader must let the people decide our country’s future, through an immediate General Election,” Corbyn added.
Commenting on the latest updates in the UK, a European Commission Spokesperson, Mina Andreeva, said “We are ready, we have been ready, we continue to be ready whatever the scenario is.”
She added that the commission would prefer an orderly withdrawal on the basis of the withdrawal agreement that has been negotiated with the UK.
United States President Donald Trump said: “I feel bad for Theresa. I like her very much. She’s a good woman. She worked very hard. She’s very strong.”
