Prime Minister David Cameron will resign in October, leaving the responsibility of negotiating Britain's withdrawal from the European Union (EU) to one of five candidates running for the seat.
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| Home Secretary Theresa May, 59, is believed by British bookmakers to be the most likely successor to David Cameron, according to CNN. She is a supporter of tough but controversial security and counter-terrorism policies, and is in charge of border management. May supports Britain remaining in the EU, but in many ways remains skeptical about the bloc's future. After the referendum result, she said she was committed to pushing ahead with the process of leaving the union. Photo: Reuters. |
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| British Justice Secretary Michael Gove, 48, has been criticized for his controversial education reforms when he was the British education minister. Although he is a close friend of Mr. Cameron, Mr. Gove sided with the British Prime Minister in the recent referendum, supporting Britain to leave the EU (the decision also known as Brexit). Mr. Gove became the center of media attention last week when he announced his candidacy for prime minister and criticized his ally, former London Mayor Boris Johnson. Photo: Reuters. |
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| Less well known than the two candidates above, Stephen Crabb, who is in charge of UK pensions and benefits policy, is believed to be popular with many Conservative MPs. To make himself stand out, Mr. Crabb, 43, often emphasizes his working-class background. He grew up in Wales with a single mother and lived in low-income housing. Crabb was a former Welsh minister and has said he would prioritize immigration control. Photo: AFP. |
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| The other female candidate in the race is Energy and Climate Change Secretary Andrea Leadsom, 53. She comes from a background in banking and fund management. Leadsom has campaigned strongly for Brexit, arguing that Britain has a strong enough economy to thrive without being part of the EU. She opposes the free movement of workers and calls for tighter border controls - a key issue in the Brexit debate. She also claims that wages would rise if Britain stopped the flow of EU citizens coming to the country to find work. Photo: Reuters. |
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| The final candidate is former British defense minister Liam Fox. Mr. Fox ran for the Conservative leadership in 2005 but only finished third, behind Mr. Cameron and David Davis. In 2011, Mr. Fox had to resign as defense secretary because a close friend was involved in a lobbying scandal. Mr. Fox is also a Brexit supporter. He has campaigned strongly against the free movement of labor, pledging to implement stronger border controls if he becomes prime minister. Photo: Reuters. |
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| Conservative MPs will vote until they have two finalists. Nearly 150,000 Conservative Party members will then choose the new prime minister. The process is expected to be completed by September 9. Graphic: CNN. |
According to VNE
