Brexit still divides candidates for PM of UK

Women candidates lead in the contest for UK prime minister while Brexit leader Gove is sidelined.

Britain's Home Secretary, Theresa May, speaking at the Royal United Services Institute in London on June 30, 2016. Dylan Martinez / Reuters

LONDON // Britain’s home secretary Theresa May is regarded as the front-runner to be the new prime minister. But Andrea Leadsom, a little-known junior energy minister, is emerging as a surprise close rival.

The two women were on opposite sides in the referendum debate with Ms May backing continuing membership of the European Union in the referendum on June 23 while Ms Leadsom was firmly in the Leave camp. Not surprisingly, when the two women appeared on Sunday morning political chat shows, they disagreed on how the country should proceed after the vote to leave triumphed.

Ms May said Britain needed to have a clear negotiating position and she would not be rushed into starting the formal exit process this year, but Ms Leadsom struck a more urgent note.

The former banker said, “It’s about saying to the world ‘we’re open for business’. We need to get on with it, we need to get a grip and make progress.”

The most senior politician among the candidates — she is the longest-serving home secretary (the UK version of interior minister) for a century — Ms May has established an early lead, gaining the support of more than 100 members of parliament, which is four times as many as any other candidate. She has pledged to honour the referendum result and said Britain needed a leader who could bring the country together.

“People are not looking for a prime minister who is just a Brexit prime minister, but a prime minister who can govern for the whole of the country,” she said.

But her critics, including rival candidates Ms Leadson and high profile Brexit campaigner Michael Gove, say that since the UK voted to leave the EU, the next prime minister should also be a “Leaver.”

If so, Mr Gove no longer appears to be the obvious choice. Although he is the more senior politician, having headed the education and justice ministries, his campaign is being increasingly eclipsed by Ms Leadsom, whose name was barely known to the public until a week ago.

Some reports on Sunday suggested that the other four candidates should stand aside so that Ms May could be installed quickly rather than waiting until September. But she said she did not like the idea of a “coronation” scenario. “ I think there should be a contest,” she said.

Over the summer, the 150,000 members of the Conservative will whittle the number of candidates for prime minister down from five to two and the winner will be elected by September 9.

* Reuters