Theresa May to be next UK Prime Minister after only rival quits

Theresa May is set to become the next British prime minister after her only rival Andrea Leadsom quit the Conservative Party’s leadership race.

Leadsom, the UK energy minister, announced on Monday that she is pulling out of the contest to replace David Cameron as the premier.

Her move paved the way for Home Secretary Theresa May, who backed staying in the EU, to be named as Tory leader and prime minister.

Leadsom, who supported Brexit, said a nine-week leadership campaign is “highly undesirable” for the UK at this crucial moment.

"I have concluded that the interests of our country are best served by the immediate appointment of a strong and well-supported prime minister,” she added, noting that she will fully support May.

The contest was originally due to end on September 9 and was overseen by the 1922 Committee of backbench Tory MPs.

Graham Brady, the chairman of the 1922 Committee, said May will be formally confirmed as the new Conservative leader but did not confirm whether this will happen by the end of Monday.

According to reports, Downing Street was holding discussions about the exact date for the departure of Cameron.

May, 59, has been the Home Secretary since 2010. She presented herself as the unity candidate to bring the divided Tory party and the country back together following the June 23 vote to leave the European Union.

May will be the second-ever female prime minister after Margaret Thatcher.

Tim Farron, the leader of Liberal Democrat Party, called for an early general election, saying, "With Theresa May's coronation we need an early general election. The Tories now have no mandate. Britain deserves better than this."

On June 23, nearly 52 percent of Britons who voted in an EU referendum opted to leave the union. Cameron, who was a firm pro-EU campaigner, stepped down the next day.

The vote sent shock waves through the political and economic sectors of both the UK and Europe. It led Cameron to announce his resignation as he had campaigned extensively for the UK to stay in the EU. The pound also fell to its lowest point since 1985.

Leadsom’s withdrawal from the leadership race came after she came under heavy criticism for implying that she was more qualified to lead the country because she had children.

May is married but has no child. Leadsom told The Times that being a mum meant she had a “very real stake” in the country’s future.

She later apologized to May and said the article said “completely the opposite of what I said and believe. " When will Theresa May take office? Cameron should formally resign to Queen Elizabeth, who is not in London at the moment.

She is anticipated to get back to Buckingham Palace on Tuesday. After her return, Cameron can leave No 10 Downing Street to Buckingham Palace to resign, as part of a formal procedure that would be followed by May’s meeting with the Queen. May will then enter No 10 Downing Street as the UK prime minister.

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