UK Prime Minister Theresa May arrived with her husband Philip for the weekly service at St Andrews Church in Sonning, Berkshire in her Maidenhead constituency on Sunday, greeted by tail-wagging Blitz the border collie outside the church.
May’s smiling face was a stark contrast to her tearful appearance Friday when she announced she would quit her post in June to make way for a successor.
While May looked as if she had a tremendous weight taken off her shoulders, Conservative MPs seeking to replace her are gearing up for a furious all-out battle.
Boris Johnson, a leading contender to take over from Theresa May, threw his hat into the ring within minutes of the PM’s resignation announcement on the steps of Downing Street on Friday.
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Environment secretary Michael Gove and Former Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab are the latest MPs to pledge to run, joining Matt Hancock, Jeremy Hunt, Boris Johnson, Esther McVey, Andrea Leadsom and Rory Stewart.
Hot favourite Boris Johnson claims he is a proven winner who can see off both Jeremy Corbyn and Nigel Farage at a stroke.
In a series of meetings with MPs, Johnson reportedly said: “I’m could be your lifeline. I’m the only candidate in this contest who can defeat both Nigel Farage and Jeremy Corbyn”, The Sun reported.
Johnson was said to have spent the past few months drawing up a detailed manifesto for his first months as PM, containing policies that he believes are clear vote-winners and will bolster his appeal to the average voter.
Home Secretary Sajid Javid is the second most-preferred Conservative politician, while Secretary of State for Environment Michael Gove holds third position.
Although May survived a no-confidence vote last December, she then came under intense pressure from British MPs due to her inability to gain their support for the UK withdrawal agreement she had negotiated with the EU.
The Brexit deadline was subsequently extended to 31 October.