New UK Conservative leader expected in place before Parliament break

The result of the contest to find a new leader of the Conservative Party to replace Theresa May as British prime minister is expected to be announced before Parliament breaks for its summer holiday, the party said on Friday, according to Reuters.

May earlier announced she would step down as Conservative leader on June 7 to trigger a contest to replace her, and party bosses said nominations would close in the week beginning June 10, according to Reuters.

“Successive rounds of voting will take place until a final choice of candidates to put to a vote of all party members is determined,” senior Conservative figures said in a statement.

“We expect that process to be concluded by the end of June, allowing for a series of hustings around the UK for members to meet and question the candidates, then cast their votes in time for the result to be announced before parliament rises for the summer.”

AFP reported that Theresa May’s successor as party leader and prime minister was expected to be in place by parliament’s summer recess set for July 20.

In a statement, the center-right party’s chairman Brandon Lewis said nominations among MPs would close in the week beginning June 10, before party members choose between the top two candidates “in time for the result to be announced before parliament rises for the summer,” according to AFP.