One of these 5 people could be the UK's next prime minister
LONDON -- Former London mayor Boris Johnson has stunned the nation by announcing his withdrawal from the Conservative leadership race after leading the campaign for Britain to leave the European Union.
After losing the Brexit referendum, David Cameron has indicated he will stand down as Conservative Party leader and prime minister. His successor as leader will be elected by Tory party members and the results are set to be announced Sept. 9.
With Johnson out of the race, that leaves five contenders for the post.
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Three of them (Michael Gove, Liam Fox and Andrea Leadsom) supported Britain's campaign to leave the EU while Theresa May, who is the favourite to win the leadership, and Stephen Crabb were for Remain.
A YouGov poll conducted after the Brexit vote tipped May to be the favourite to succeed David Cameron, with 19% of the public vote. Johnson, who withdrew from the race, came in second.
Stephen Crabb, 43, work and pensions secretary, MP for Preseli Pembrokeshire
Crabb is considered one of the Tories' rising stars. He backed the Remain campaign and launched his candidacy in a bid to repair the "insults, accusations and the bad blood" in the Conservative Party after the Brexit result. He's running on a joint ticket with Business Secretary Sajid Javid.
Liam Fox, 53, former Defence Secretary, MP for North Somerset
Fox has already run for the top job in 2005, coming a close third. He resigned in disgrace from the coalition government in 2011 over his working relationship with friend and self-styled adviser Adam Werritty. A vocal Leave campaigner on the backbench, he called for unity after Britain voted to leave the EU. Fox said he wanted to “paint an optimistic picture of our country."
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Theresa May, 59, Home Secretary, MP for Maidenhead
Theresa May is one of the longest-serving home secretaries in history. She's often been mentioned as potential future leader of the Conservatives.
In announcing her bid, May, who campaigned to remain in the EU, remarked that "Brexit means Brexit" and there would be no general election before 2020. “I’m Theresa May and I’m the best person to be prime minister," she said.
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Michael Gove, 48, Justice Secretary, MP for Surrey Heath
Gove's candidacy was unexpected as he'd been reported to express his support to fellow Leave campaigner Boris Johnson. Gove, one of the party's intellectual authorities, had said in the past that he did not want to become prime minister.
"I have repeatedly said that I do not want to be prime minister. That has always been my view. But events since last Thursday have weighed heavily with me," he said in announcing his decision. A former newspaper columnist, Gove was also education secretary between 2010 and 2014.
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Andrea Leadsom, 53, energy minister, MP for South Northamptonshire
A former banker and fund manager, Leadsom was a vocal Leave campaigner. She became MP for South Northamptonshire in 2010 and said she wants to make the most of Brexit opportunities.
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