May resigns as UK prime minister after failing to break Brexit deadlock

The race to be the UK's next prime minister has begun after Theresa May announced she will resign on June 7. May — whose Brexit deal has thrice been rejected by MPs — angered members of her own Conservative Party this week when she opened the door to a confirmatory referendum if parliament approves her latest plan to leave the European Union. After a meeting with Graham Brady, chairman of the powerful 1922 committee, on Friday morning, the Prime Minister emerged from 10 Downing Street to set her departure date. "It's in the best interests of the country," she said. An increasingly emotional May said: "it has been the honour of my life" to hold the position of Prime Minister. "The second female Prime Minister, but certainly not the last." And as she expressed the honour of serving "the country that I love," her demeanour gave way, perhaps for the first time, to show the woman behind the mask. She was in tears as she turned her back and walked back into her residence. Boris Johnson has hinted he would be in the running to replace May, as has foreign minister Jeremy Hunt. A new leader is expected to be in place by the end of July. Tributes immediately began to pour in from senior political figures. This from leadership favourite Boris Johnson: Another potential successor, Dominic Raab, was also amongst those paying tribute: As was Michael Gove: Even the SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon sent a tribute: There was also a statement from the Irish Premier: Unsurprisingly, the leader of the current opposition Labour Party Jeremy Corbyn, was far less conciliatory: Nigel Farage, one of the figureheads of Britain's Brexit campaign, said May had misjudged the mood of the country. "It is difficult not to feel for Mrs May, but politically she misjudged the mood of the country and her party," he said in a statement. "Two Tory leaders have now gone whose instincts were pro-EU. Either the party learns that lesson or it dies." May's speech was emotive and in some parts touching. But, amusingly, Downing Street released the Prime Minister's statement this morning - without attaching the speech. May will still officially be the 'de facto' Prime Minister until the next Tory leader is selected. To see who that might be, click the link below. Who is the bookies' favourite to succeed her?