Theresa May has become the latest Conservative prime minister to be brought down by party divisions on Europe. Speaking outside 10 Downing Street, the Prime Minister gave a statement in which she confirmed that she will step down on June 7 to pave the way for a leadership contest to find her successor the following week. She admitted that her Brexit strategy had failed – having tried to pass her deal three times – and said this was something she deeply regretted. However, she suggested that she did not regret her approach – stating that ‘compromise is not a dirty word’. At the end of the speech, May had a rare show of emotion as she declared that it had been an honour to ‘serve the country I love’:
‘I will shortly leave the job that has been the honour of my life to hold. I do so with no ill will but with enormous and enduring gratitude to have had the opportunity to serve the country I love.’
A large part of the speech was dedicated to setting out what May hopes her legacy will be – outside of Europe.
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