Nominations For Next Tory Leader -- and UK PM -- to Close Monday

LONDON (AP) – Nominations are closing in the race to become Britain’s next prime minister, with almost a dozen contenders already battling it out over Brexit, tax policy and past drug use.

Prime Minister Theresa May stepped down Friday as Conservative Party leader after failing to secure Parliament’s backing for her European Union withdrawal deal.

Party lawmakers and members will choose a new leader, who also becomes prime minister. Nominations close Monday at 5 p.m. (1600GMT, noon EDT).

So far 11 candidates are running, including former Cabinet minister Boris Johnson, Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt and Environment Secretary Michael Gove.

Johnson wants to take Britain out of the EU with or without a deal, Hunt favors a more conciliatory approach and Gove is trying to limit fallout from his admission of long-ago cocaine use.