Theresa May to step down as British PM amid Brexit impasse

Theresa May said she has informed the Queen of her decision to resign as the Prime Minister of UK. (Reuters Photo: Toby Melville)

The process to choose a new leader will begin next week, May said, adding that she will stay on till it’s complete.  “Our politics may be under strain but there is so much that is good about this country. So much to be proud of. So much to be optimistic about,” she said.

May said it has been “the honour of my life” to be the “second female prime minister, but certainly not the last.”

Her voice cracked as she said it has been an honour to have the opportunity to serve the country she loves.

Britain is currently due to leave the EU on Oct. 31, but Parliament has yet to approve divorce terms.

Pressure on May to quit over her failure to get Parliament’s approval for a European Union divorce deal reached critical point this week as House of Commons Leader Andrea Leadsom quit and several Cabinet colleagues expressed doubts about her Brexit bill.

With her authority draining away by the hour, May on Thursday delayed plans to publish the EU withdrawal bill, her fourth attempt to secure Parliament’s backing for her Brexit blueprint.

May became prime minister in July 2016, and her premiership has been consumed by the so-far-unsuccessful attempt to leave the EU.

with inputs from agencies

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