This article was originally published by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and is reprinted with permission.
Theresa May has announced she will step down on June 7 as the leader of the British Conservative Party, triggering a contest for Britain’s next prime minister.
Speaking outside 10 Downing Street on May 24, May said she will remain as caretaker prime minister until the new leader is chosen, a process that could take several weeks.
May, once a reluctant supporter of EU membership, won the top job in the turmoil that followed the 2016 Brexit vote.
May has bowed to pressure from her party to quit over her failure to take Britain out of the European Union on schedule.
Her departure will trigger a party leadership contest in which any Conservative lawmaker can run. The early front-runner is Boris Johnson, a former foreign secretary and strong champion of Brexit.
Britain is currently due to leave the EU on October 31, but Parliament has yet to approve terms for its departure.
