British Prime Minister David Cameron steps down on Wednesday and Theresa May prepares to take his place following a momentous referendum to leave the European Union that has sent shockwaves around the world.
Cameron will hold his final weekly question and answer session in parliament before tendering his resignation to Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace.
The monarch will then call on May to form a government and the newly-anointed prime minister will make a statement outside her new Downing Street residence.
8:27pm – Britain’s New Foreign Sec Will Have An Awkward Time Dealing With Turkey
Just weeks ago, Boris Johnson won a competition in The Spectator for writing this poem about Turkish President Erdogan having sex with a goat:
There was a young fellow from Ankara
Who was a terrific wankerer
Till he sowed his wild oats
With the help of a goat
But he didn’t even stop to thankera.
8:13pm – David Davis is Brexit Secretary
David Davis (Leave) will be the minister in charge of Britain’s Brexit negotiations.
8:08pm – Liam Fox is Trade Secretary
Liam Fox (Leave) has been appointed to head a new Department for International Trade.
8:00pm – Michael Fallon re-appointed Defence Secretary
Michael Fallon (Remain) will continue as Defence Secretary.
7:52 – Amber Rudd is Home Secretary
Amber Rudd (Remain) will replace Theresa May as Home Secretary.
7.45pm – Boris Johnson is Foreign Secretary
In a surprise announcement, Boris Johnson (Leave) has been appointed Foreign Secretary.
7.15pm – Hammond is Chancellor, Osborne out
Philip Hammond (Remain) is the first minister to meeting the new PM. Reports emerging he is the new Chancellor. George Osborne has resigned from the government.
6.51pm – Remain protesters arrested after trying to attack pro-Brexit protest:
Photo by Rachel Megawhat:
6:35pm – Exclusive Pics As New PM Enters Downing Street:
By Rachel Megawhat:
6.30pm – Pro-Brexit Protest As May Becomes PM:
By Rachel Megawhat:
6.21pm – May is now beginning her first tasks as PM:
The new Prime Minister is receiving a security briefing after which the first appointments of her government are expected to be announced.
6.02pm – May addresses the nation:
5.58pm – May Leaves Buckingham Palace:
The new Prime Minister is on her way to Downing Street.
5.53pm – Juncker Congratulates May:
5:40pm – Theresa May Confirmed As Prime Minister:
5:33pm – Cameron has already changed his Twitter bio:
5:28pm – Theresa May arrives at Buckingham Palace:
5:25pm – Buckingham Palace confirms Cameron’s resignation:
5:21pm – Theresa May is on her way to Buckingham Palace:
Queen Elizabeth II is about to appoint Theresa May as her 13th Prime Minister. In the mean time:
5.16pm – Westminster’s favourite artist welcomes Theresa May:
5.12pm – Exclusive Pics Of Cameron’s Farewell Speech
By Rachel Megawhat:
5.06pm – There is presently no Prime Minister
With David Cameron having submitted his resignation and Theresa May not yet appointed, Britain is briefly an absolute monarchy as the Queen temporarily takes on the Prime Minister’s powers.
She probably will not exercise them, though.
4:58pm – David Cameron is now meeting the Queen to submit his resignation
4:40pm – Cameron Says Goodbye:
4:35pm – Tusk Congratulates May
Donald Tusk, president of the European Council, has prematurely congratulated Theresa May:
4:23 – Queen arrives back at Buckingham Palace for power transfer:
3:53pm – Leading “moderniser” Nick Boles leaves the government:
Unclear whether he’s resigned or been sacked.
3.09pm – The first anti-May protests outside Downing Street:
2:54pm – Telegraph reports Osborne is to Leave Treasury:
No word yet on whether he’s been moved or sacked completely.
2:41pm – Cameron to meet Queen at 5pm:
David Cameron will travel to Buckingham Palace to tender his resignation to the Queen at 5pm. As it will be tea time, she may invite him to stay and chat for a while before summoning Theresa May.
2:35pm – May delivers 2,000 new UKIP members:
2:28pm – Delivery Van at Downing Street:
A delivery packaging list featuring the name of the new leader of Britain’s Conservative Party and future British Prime Minister Theresa May is pictured in the hands of removal personnel as they arrive at the back of 10 Downing Street in London on July 13, 2016.
Theresa May will become Britain’s second ever female prime minister on Wednesday July 13, 2016, when David Cameron steps down after a seismic referendum to leave the European Union that sent shockwaves round the world and wrecked his career. / AFP / DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS (Photo credit should read DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/AFP/Getty Images)
1.54pm – ITV says May will appoint Remain-Supporting Foreign Sec as Chancellor:
1.11pm – Breitbart London’s editor-in-chief writes:
1.00pm – Cameron leaves Westminster for the last time as PM:
12:37pm – Cameron applauded as he finishes his last ever PMQs:
12:25 – Labour MP Jeff Smith sticks it to Cameron:
He asks the outgoing Prime Minister: “He came into power planning to get rid of the deficit and to stop his party banging on about Europe. How has that gone?”
12:21pm – Cameron says Britain should stay as close as possible to the EU
12:18 – Corbyn says goodbye by attempting some jokes:
12:05pm – Corbyn thanks Cameron for gay marriage
Midday – Cameron Gives Last PMQs
11:50am – May spokeswoman confirms special Brexit department:
A spokeswoman for Mrs May said: “Civil servants have already been charged with finding a building to house the Brexit department – an indication of Theresa’s commitment to get on with delivering the verdict of the EU referendum. Brexit means Brexit and we’re going to make a success of it.”
She added: “It was Theresa that set up the campaign to elect more female MPs to parliament – and she has always believed that there should be more women in prominent government positions.”
11:23am – Here’s a running order of what we expect to happen today:
Midday – Cameron takes his last ever Prime Minister’s Questions in the House of Commons.
Early afternoon – Cameron travels to Buckingham Palace to formally hand his resignation to the Queen.
Mid-afternoon – The Queen invites Theresa May to form a government.
Evening – the first new cabinet appointments may be announced.
10:34am – Brutal honesty from one MP:
10:22am – David Cameron pictured leaving Downing Street. For the last time?
Original Story:
(AFP) – British Prime Minister David Cameron steps down on Wednesday and Theresa May prepares to take his place following a momentous referendum to leave the European Union that has sent shockwaves around the world.
Cameron will hold his final weekly question and answer session in parliament before tendering his resignation to Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace.
The monarch will then call on May to form a government and the newly-anointed prime minister will make a statement outside her new Downing Street residence.
European leaders have asked the government to move quickly to renegotiate its relationship with the EU but May has indicated she will not be rushed into triggering the formal procedure for Brexit.
The 59-year-old, who will become Britain’s second female prime minister after Margaret Thatcher, also has to attempt to bridge Conservative Party divisions and deal with a potential economic downturn.
Her other daunting challenges include keeping pro-EU Scotland from bidding for independence in order to stay in the 28-nation bloc, and weaving new global trade and diplomatic alliances to prepare for a post-Brexit future.
– Clouds start to disperse –
May campaigned with Cameron for Britain to stay in the EU and she will also have to convince Brexit supporters that she will implement the result of the June 23 referendum to leave the EU as she has promised.
After six years in office, Cameron announced he would resign the day after the vote. He will chiefly be remembered for proposing the referendum in the first place and then spectacularly failing to clinch it.
He sought to deflect that criticism in an interview with the Daily Telegraph on Wednesday, saying: “As I leave, I hope people will see a stronger country, a thriving economy and more chances to get on in life.
“It has been a privilege to serve the country I love.”
May’s bid for his job accelerated as key proponents of Britain’s EU withdrawal, including charismatic former mayor of London Boris Johnson, stepped back in a head-spinning round of political bloodletting.
The vote exposed deep inequalities in British society which May has promised to address and upended the political scene, sending her Conservatives and the main opposition Labour Party into turmoil.
Labour’s embattled leader Jeremy Corbyn, who was accused of failing to persuade working-class voters to back EU membership, now faces a bitter leadership contest of his own against rebel lawmaker Angela Eagle.
Investors will be watching May’s first days in office closely but with greater optimism as the value of the pound, which fell by up to 15 percent against the dollar and the euro in the days of the Brexit vote, has rebounded on news of her impending promotion.
“Theresa May’s virtual ‘coronation’ as prime minister has delivered a boost to the pound as the clouds of uncertainty following the Brexit vote start to disperse,” said market analyst Neil Wilson at ETX Capital, a financial trading company in London.
May is expected to begin announcing cabinet picks later on Wednesday and these could reportedly include current energy minister Amber Rudd, foreign minister Philip Hammond and Brexit campaigner Chris Grayling, the Conservatives’ House of Commons leader.
– Leopard-skin heels –
May has been a tough-talking interior minister for the past six years and is something of an unknown quantity internationally, although she has received ringing endorsements from party colleagues and a normally sceptical British tabloid press.
She is also liked in and around Maidenhead, the well-to-do commuter town west of London that she has represented in parliament since 1997.
“She will get this country back on its feet,” said 69-year-old Jim Charlesworth, a neighbour of May and her banker husband Philip.
Martin Trepte, editor of the Maidenhead Advertiser, the local newspaper, said: “She’s a mature, grown-up, no-nonsense politician. She knows her stuff.”
The daughter of a Church of England vicar, May is a cricket fan with a sober, well-mannered demeanour who lists her hobbies as cooking and walking.
She shows a flash of flamboyance with a colourful shoe collection — particularly her leopard-skin heels — which has become famous in the British press.