Theresa May Announces Her Resignation As Prime Minister

Theresa May has announced her resignation as Prime minister this morning.

Her departure from the post was expected after backlash from her own Cabinet against her latest Brexit plan. Since January, there has been three separate rejections of Mrs May's withdrawal agreement negotiated with the EU since January.

The Prime Minister met with Sir Graham Brady, the Conservative leader, at 9am this morning, before addressing the nation from Downing Street to explain her resignation.

May says she will step down as Prime Minister on Friday, 7th June.

Today, she said: "I have done everything I can to convince mps to back that deal. Sadly I have not been able to do so. I tried three times.

"I believe it was right to persevere, even when the odds against success seemed high.But it is now clear to me the best interests of the country for a new Prime Minister to lead that effort.

"I am today announcing that I will resign as leader of the conservative and unionist party on Friday 7th June so that a successor can be chosen.

She added: "I will continue to serve as Prime Minister until the process is finished.

"It is and will always remain a matter of deep regret to me that I have not been able to deliver on Brexit. It will be for my successor to seek a way forward that honours the result of the referendum. To succeed he or she will have to find consensus in parliament where I have not.

"Such a consensus can only be reached if those on all sides of the debate are willing compromise."

May, who was the second female Prime Minister to lead the country, says she won't be the last.

Sources previously told Press Association that Mrs May would delay the leadership race for her replacement until 10th June in order for the state visit with Donald Trump, scheduled for 3rd June, to go ahead without MPs voting on her successor during it.

A source said: "Hopefully what will happen is she will stand down as Tory leader I think on or before June 10, and she will hopefully remain as caretaker Prime Minister until such time as a new Tory leader is elected."

"My feeling is that she will stay until June 10."

The source explained that a new leader should hopefully be in place before 31st October, the date currently set for the UK's exit from the EU.

Mrs May's Cabinet collapsed following her latest Withdrawal Agreement Bill, which she called "one last chance" at delivering Brexit.

But her proposals, which offered MPs a vote on whether to hold a second referendum and a temporary custom unions agreement with the EU, angered Tories.

Currently, bookmakers are touting Boris Johnson as the clear favourite to replace Theresa May, with Ladbrokes naming him 3/1 to take over Number 10.

May came into power in July 2016, following David Cameron, who resigned after the public voted in favour of Brexit.

The next contender for Prime Minister is former Secretary of State for Exiting the EU, Dominic Raab, who is listed at 5/1, joint with foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt (8/1), followed by former Commons leader Andrea Leadsom (16/1) and Rory Stewart (16/1).