Britain is set to have a new female Prime Minister as Home Secretary Theresa May is the only contender left in the Tory Leadership race, after Energy Minister Andrea Leadsom withdrew on Monday.
Graham Brady, the chair of the 1922 Committee that oversees the election, said May was the only remaining candidate to become Tory leader.
She will be confirmed as the new Conservative Party leader after consulting the board, Brady said. The contest will not re-open, he added.
In a speech earlier on Monday, May, 59, a remain-campaigner, reiterated that there will not be a second referendum on EU membership. "Brexit means Brexit and we are going to make a success of it", she said.
In the June 23 referendum, 52 percent Britons voted to leave the European Union in a surprise and historic move.
It remains unclear whether the confirmation will come by the end of Monday or this week. After party confirmation, May must meet the Queen, who will return to London only tomorrow or Wednesday.
May will likely meet the Queen during teatime.
The final result of the Tory leadership election was set to be announced on September 9. Brady suggested that now it will not take that long for the announcement.
While announcing his resignation in the aftermath of the "Brexit" vote, Prime Minister David Cameron had said he will continue until October and that the exit talks with the EU should continue under the new PM.
Reports suggest that Cameron will take his last Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday, and hand over the role to May afterwards.
May is a known face for the European Union. In her campaign manifesto, she said the Article 50, which governs the EU exit process, will not be triggered this year. She has also ruled out a general election before 2020 and abandoned the target of achieving a budget surplus by that year.
Her stance on the status of EU nationals living in the U.K. has attracted criticism. She has only said that they will be part of the "Brexit" negotiations, refusing to guarantee that they can remain in the country.
Earlier on Monday, Leadsom bowed out from the race, saying she lacked "sufficient support to lead a strong and stable government". She had less than 25 percent backing of MPs.
She also said that it was in the interests of the country that a new strong PM is appointed immediately.
"A nine-week leadership campaign at such a critical moment for our country is highly undesirable," she said.
With over 60 percent of Tory MPs' backing, May is "ideally placed to implement "Brexit" on the best possible terms for the British people and she has promised that she will do so", the energy minister said.
Leadsom's withdrawal came after she faced severe criticism for her comments in an interview in the Times last week, which implied that being a mother gave her a "real stake" in Britain's future.
May is childless and Leadsom texted an apology to her on Monday, reports said.
Responding to Leadsom's withdrawal, May's campaign manager Chris Gayling said her statement showed she is a "true public servant" and a decent person.
May is set to make a statement later on Monday.
Prominent "Leave" campaigner Boris Johnson called for quick transition of the PM role to May. The former London mayor had quit the Tory leadership bid after his close ally Michael Gove launched a surprise bid.
Gove, who was eliminated from the race last week, also sought a quick handover of the leadership to May.
Following the Tory news, Labour called for a general election.
"It is crucial, given the instability caused by the Brexit vote, that the country has a democratically elected prime minister," Labour's Election Coordinator Jon Trickett said.
"It is time for the Labour party to unite and ensure the millions of people in the country left behind by the Tories' failed economic policies, have the opportunity to elect a Labour government."
However, unity in the Labour party seems a distant prospect for now.
Leadsom's announcement coincided with Labour MP Angela Eagle's launch of her bid for the Labour Party leadership.
"These are dark times for Labour," Eagle said in a statement announcing her formal challenge to Jeremy Corbyn leadership.
"And they are dangerous times for our country."
Corbyn had publicly declared that he will remain as the Labour Party leader "come what may", allowing crucial talks with unions to find a solution to the crisis fall apart.
"Jeremy Corbyn is unable to provide the leadership this huge task needs," Eagle said. "I believe I can."
Labour Party General Secretary Iain McNicol confirmed that there will be a contest for the leadership position.
Like the Conservatives, the main U.K. opposition party has also witnessed chaos after the surprise "Brexit" vote. Several members of the shadow cabinet, including Eagle, quit in a revolt against Corbyn leadership.
The crisis also led to a no-confidence move against Corbyn that he lost.
Eagle, 55, has been the MP for Wallasey. She is openly gay and has championed social causes such as smoking bans, hunting ban and same sex marriages. She had campaigned for the U.K. to remain in the EU.
by RTT Staff Writer
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