Theresa May announces date she is resigning as Conservative leader

Theresa May has announced she is resigning as Tory leader and confirmed she will be quitting on June 7.

Mrs May’s authority was left in tatters after Tory MPs and Cabinet ministers rejected her last-ditch attempt at forming a new Brexit strategy.

Prime Minister Theresa May announced she was resigning PA Wireplaceholder image
Prime Minister Theresa May announced she was resigning PA Wire

She had been expected to cling on as Prime Minister long enough to attempt pass a second reading of the Withdrawal Agreement Bill (WAB) in the first week of June.

But amid an explosive reaction to the plan, which promised MPs votes on a second referendum and a Customs Union deal, Mrs May appeared to be beyond the point of return.

After a meeting with leader of the backbench committee Sir Graham Brady on Friday morning, she announced she would be standing down as Tory leader to make way for a successor.

Mrs May will depart on the same day the result of the by-election in Peterborough is announced.

Labour MEP Alex Mayer said: “This really is turning out to be the longest goodbye in history.

“This has been a disastrous Premiership that has further torn the country apart. But what we need now is not a Tory leadership contest but a General Election. Its time for the Tories to admit they have no plan for Britain and put the country first.”

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