The Race to Replace Theresa May: A Cheat Sheet

Updated on June 19

Theresa May’s decision to stand down as the leader of Britain’s Conservative Party—and, consequently, as prime minister—has sparked a leadership battle months in the making. There were 10 candidates in the race on June 10, when the race formally began, who sought the support of 313 Conservative members of Parliament. Three days later, after the first round of voting, the number was down to seven—with Boris Johnson receiving the most number of votes. A second round of voting Tuesday narrowed the race down to five candidates, who will proceed through successive rounds until the final two candidates are determined on Thursday; they will face each other in a runoff decided via postal ballot by the party’s estimated 160,000 dues-paying members.

Whoever succeeds May will carry the burden of steering Britain through its seemingly intractable impasse over how, or even if, the country should leave the European Union. This person will have until October 31, the next Brexit deadline, to find a solution that has eluded the country since it voted in 2016 to leave the bloc. The next prime minister will undoubtedly face the same parliamentary deadlock and division as did May, who will stay on as prime minister until a winner is declared, possibly by late July.