| Author (Corporate) | Cardiff EDC (Compiler) |
|---|---|
| Publication Date | 2019 |
| Content Type | News, Overview |
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Summary: Reports and analyses relating to the race to lead the Conservative Party and become the United Kingdom's Prime Minister, following the announcement from Theresa May that she had decided to resign on 7 June 2019. Further information: Following the inability to deliver the United Kingdom's effective withdrawal from the European Union by the original timeline - related to a fragmented Parliament and criticism from her own political party - Prime Minister Theresa May announced on 24 May 2019 she intended to resign on 7 June and make way for a leadership contest in the Conservative Party, which would eventually result in a new Prime Minister. A number of senior figures of the Party lined up to present their leadership bids. Some members of the party criticised the amount of candidates who gathered the necessary support to put forward their name, calling for changes in rules of the leadership contest. Analysts suggested the outcome of the European Parliament election in the United Kingdom would influence the choice of a new leader, depending on their position regarding the precise Brexit they defend. Ahead of a state visit to the United Kingdom in June 2019, US President Donald Trump suggested he supported Mr Johnson to become the next party leader and Prime Minister. Following Theresa May's official resignation as leader of the Conservative Party, it was announced on 10 June that 10 candidates had gathered the necessary proposer, seconder and support from six other members of Parliament. These were: Michael Gove, Matt Hancock, Mark Harper, Jeremy Hunt, Sajid Javid, Boris Johnson, Andrea Leadsom, Esther McVey, Dominic Raab and Rory Stewart. Several rounds of voting by Conservative MPs would take place, until only two candidates were left - these would be up for scrutiny from the wider Conservative Party membership. Mr Gove's announcement that he had consumed cocaine during his adulthood, together with Mr Johnson's resistance in appearing in public to discuss his ideas as potential Prime Minister dominated the media focus ahead of the first round, which was held on 13 June. Candidates were required the support of 16 MPs to proceed to the next stage. Boris Johnson (114) collected the most support, followed by Jeremy Hunt (43). Mark Harper, Andrea Leadsom and Esther McVey were eliminated from the race. Matt Hancock announced his withdrawal on 14 June. The first public debate between the remaining candidates was held on 16 June, except for Boris Johnson who decided not to take part. The second round of voting was held on 18 June - the threshold increased to 33 MPs and led to Dominic Raab being knocked out of the race (30 votes). The remaining candidates took part at a second televised debate later in the day. On 19 June, the third round resulted in the elimination of Rory Stewart, followed by two further rounds on 20 June - the final two candidates emerging proceeding to the final round of voting with party members were Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt. A series of public hustings were held across the United Kingdom to help Conservative party members decide which candidate to support. The issue of delivering Brexit remained the main debating issue of the leadership campaign, alongside some other personal episodes involving the candidates. On 23 July, Boris Johnson was announced as the winner of the leadership contest, collecting 66% of the votes. |
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| Subject Categories | Politics and International Relations |
| Subject Tags | National Politics |
| Countries / Regions | United Kingdom |
