The result of the contest to find a new leader of the Conservative Party to replace Theresa May as British prime minister is expected to be announced before parliament breaks for its summer holiday, the party said on Friday.
May earlier announced she would step down as Conservative leader on June 7 to trigger a contest to replace her, and party bosses said nominations would close in the week beginning June 10.
“Successive rounds of voting will take place until a final choice of candidates to put to a vote of all party members is determined,” senior Conservative figures said in a statement.
“We expect that process to be concluded by the end of June, allowing for a series of hustings around the UK for members to meet and question the candidates, then cast their votes in time for the result to be announced before parliament rises for the summer.”
May’s departure deepens the Brexit crisis as a new leader is likely to want a more decisive split, raising the chances of a confrontation with the EU and potentially a snap parliamentary election.
Former foreign minister Boris Johnson, the favourite to replace May, was first out of the blocks, saying Britain should be prepared to leave the EU without a deal to force the bloc to offer a “good deal”.
Current foreign minister Jeremy Hunt also confirmed he would run for the leadership just hours after May’s announcement.
Jeremy Corbyn, leader of the main opposition Labour Party, said the new prime minister must hold an election to “let the people decide our country’s future”.
May, who endured several crises in her failed effort to find a compromise Brexit deal that parliament could ratify, bequeaths a deeply divided country and a political elite that is deadlocked over how, when or whether to leave the EU. The latest deadline for Britain’s departure is Oct. 31.
Most of the leading contenders to succeed May want a tougher divorce deal. The EU has said it will not renegotiate the Withdrawal Agreement it sealed with Britain in November.
Johnson, the face of the official Brexit campaign in 2016, is the favourite to succeed May, with betting markets giving him a 40% implied probability of winning the top job.
He made his pitch at an economic conference in Switzerland, appealing to Brexit-supporting Conservative Party members by saying: “We will leave the EU on Oct. 31, deal or no deal.”
He said Britain could forge a “fantastic free trade relationship” with Europe after it quits the bloc but could also be a champion for global free trade.
Others tipped are Dominic Raab, a Brexit supporter and former Brexit secretary, with a 14% implied probability on his chances. Environment Secretary Michael Gove, former House of Commons leader Andrea Leadsom and Hunt each have a 7% probability, according to betting markets.
Defence Secretary Penny Mordaunt and International Development Secretary Rory Stewart each have a 4% chance of the top job while Home Secretary Sajid Javid has a 3% chance.
Conservative lawmaker Graham Brady resigned as chairman of the party’s 1922 Committee of backbench MPs in preparation for a potential leadership bid, the BBC said.
For many Conservative lawmakers, speed is of the essence to install a new leader to try to break the Brexit impasse.
The governing party said it would move quickly to try to end the leadership contest before parliament breaks for a summer holiday, a so-called recess which usually falls in late July.
“The fight for the heart and soul of the Conservative Party officially starts now,” said Andrew Bridgen, a pro-Brexit lawmaker. “We need a new PM as soon as possible and who that is will decide the future of our democracy, our country and the Conservative Party.”
