Theresa May steps down: what happens next?
May will stay on as acting PM after officially resigning as Tory leader today

A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
Thank you for signing up to TheWeek. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
Theresa May will officially step down as the leader of the Conservative Party today, but will stay on as prime minister until her successor is chosen.
Looking back over May’s three-year reign, Sky News says “Brexit sapped her energy and her time in office ended with an emotional goodbye,” while the Daily Mail says she will “quit with a whimper”.
The Guardian’s Gaby Hinsliff says May’s departure “increasingly looks not so much like passing on the torch as dropping a burned-out sparkler and accidentally starting a grass fire”.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
May officially announced her resignation two weeks ago but today the formalities will begin. May will confirm her decision in an exchange of letters with the joint acting chairmen of the backbench 1922 Committee, Charles Walker and Dame Cheryl Gillan.
Then, at 5pm, a call for candidates will then be issued, with nominations opening at 10am on Monday and closing at 5pm the same day. Eleven Tory MPs are battling to replace her as party leader and prime minister.
Leadership candidates need eight Conservative MPs to back them. The party’s MPs will vote for their preferred candidates in a series of secret ballots held on 13, 18, 19 and 20 June.
Walker, of the Tory backbench 1922 committee, said on Thursday: “We are aiming to have two people by Thursday 20 June.”
That final two will be put to a vote of members of the wider Conservative Party. The winner is expected to be announced in the week of 22 July.
Until then, May will remain involved at the coalface of politics. The Financial Times says she is embroiled in a growing row with chancellor Philip Hammond over her plans to leave with a series of big spending announcements, including a multi-billion pound overhaul of England's schools and colleges.
The Independent points out that May is also set to legally commit to ending the UK’s contribution to global warming by 2050 before she leaves Downing Street. However, it adds, “there are fears of a ‘get-out clause’ that could allow her successor to roll back on the measures”.
Continue reading for free
We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.
Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.
Sign up to our 10 Things You Need to Know Today newsletter
A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
-
Should you fire your financial adviser? 4 signs it's time to say goodbye.
The Explainer Breakups are never fun, but you have to protect your wallet
By Becca Stanek Published
-
The daily gossip: Man arrested in connection with shooting of Tupac Shakur, an OceanGate movie is in the works, and more
Feature The daily gossip: September 29, 2023
By Brendan Morrow Published
-
What to expect from an El Niño winter
The Explainer Things might be different thanks to this well-known weather phenomenon
By Devika Rao Published
-
Why is the UK pushing Germany on fighter jets for Saudi Arabia?
Today's big question Berlin has opposed the sale of weapons to Riyadh on humanitarian grounds
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published
-
Is it time the world re-evaluated the rules on migration?
Today's Big Question Home Secretary Suella Braverman questions whether 1951 UN Refugee Convention is 'fit for our modern age'
By The Week Staff Published
-
Rishi Sunak's tree code: what is the PM's election strategy?
Today's Big Question Conservative leader lining up major policy announcements in bid to rebrand as 'change' candidate
By Elliott Goat Published
-
Will Rishi Sunak's green wedge issue win over the public?
Today's Big Question The PM draws dividing line with Labour on net zero ahead of the next general election
By Sorcha Bradley Published
-
Industry backlash as Sunak set to water down green pledges
Speed Read Automotive and energy bosses look for clarity after PM backs away from UK net zero goal
By Arion McNicoll Published
-
October by-elections: what's at stake for Labour, Lib Dems and Tories
Parties will contest two former safe Tory seats on 19 October, putting pressure on Rishi Sunak
By Harriet Marsden Published
-
The Abuse of Power by Theresa May review
Talking Point This 'serious book by a serious woman' hardly counts as a memoir at all
By The Week Staff Published
-
Jobs for the boys: does the UK need a minister for men?
Conservative MP calls for dedicated cabinet role to combat 'crisis' in men's mental health and education
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published