Mrs May has formally stepped down as leader of Britain’s governing Conservative Party, officially triggering a leadership contest that has effectively been running for several weeks.
The prime minister announced last month she would step down on Friday, June 7, after her authority to govern collapsed following three failed attempts to win parliament’s approval for a negotiated deal to leave the European Union.
Mrs May’s plan has already been defeated three times in the House of Commons — but she was still desperately trying to save her legacy by getting her deal passed.
Mrs May faced one final blow to her authority as Helen Grant resigned as Tory party vice-chair, saying she wants to be involved in the leadership race by backing Dominic Raab.
The Prime Minister wanted her legacy to be taking Britain out of the EU, before turning to the “burning injustices” of UK society.