Who May Replace Theresa May? Here Are the Names Doing the Rounds
The Conservative Party in Britain may have to appoint a new leader to see the Brexit process through.
British Prime Minister Theresa May announced on Wednesday, 27 March, that she will step down from her position before the next phase of the Brexit negotiations if her plan for Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union is approved.
If her deal is passed, the Conservative Party in Britain will have to appoint a new leader to see the Brexit process through. This comes at a time when there is a deep divide in the party between hardline Brexit supporters, those who have been critics of the prime minister’s approach, and those who support May’s strategy.
Here are the possible candidates for Britain’s prime ministership that the western media is placing its bets on.
1. Michael Gove
51-year-old Michael Gove, currently the environment secretary, has formerly served as justice and education secretary. He is one of the front-runners for the post.
A prominent pro-Brexit campaigner, he has backed Theresa May’s strategy since the 2016 Brexit referendum. He was referred to as the “Frank Underwood” of British politics in 2016 when he said that he didn’t think former London mayor Boris Johnson could provide the leadership the Conservative Party needed, seen as a U-turn at the time.
He was also slated to be one of the successors of former prime minister David Cameron.
Conservative tabloid The Daily Mail reports that Gove is the most likely choice to become caretaker prime minister if May steps down.
2. Boris Johnson
Boris Johnson, 54, has been a vocal Brexiteer and a regular critic of May’s deal. He was former foreign secretary and has also served two terms as mayor of London between 2008 and 2016.
Johnson advocated a strong split from the Union, putting him at odds with May, who is a proponent of closer ties with Europe.
He is known to have cross-party appeal, reports The Washington Post, but his popularity dipped after the referendum of 2016, especially in the pro-EU areas.
While his star power is hard to match, he will have trouble convincing fellow lawmakers in the first phase of the leadership race.
3. Jeremy Hunt
Jeremy Hunt is the present foreign secretary after Boris Johnson resigned over Theresa May’s handling of the Brexit negotiations. He also served as health secretary for six years.
In the 2016 referendum, he voted for Britain to remain,but has since changed his mind because of the EU’s “arrogance” in the Brexit negotiations.
He has also been a vocal supporter of May’s withdrawal strategy.
4. Sajid Javid
49-year-old Sajid Javid is the first ethnic-minority politician to serve as Britain’s home secretary. A banker-turned-politician, he is the son of parents who emigrated to Britain from Pakistan.
Javid too once supported remaining in the EU (though “reluctantly”, as he later admitted) but has supported efforts to leave since.
He made waves in the international circuit when he decided to strip British citizenship from Shamima Begum, who travelled to Syria as a teenager to join the Islamic State.
5. David Lidington
David Lidington was a supporter of the Remain campaign and is May’s de-facto deputy, touted as her natural caretaker successor.
The New York Times, reports, however, that though an affable politician, his chances of becoming a permanent successor to May look slim as he is seen as a technocrat.
(With inputs from Washington Post, New York Times, and the Daily Mail UK)
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