"It is in the best interest of the country for a new prime minister to lead" - Theresa May announces she will resign on June 7th

UK Prime Minister, Theresa May has said she will quit as Conservative leader on 7 June, paving the way for a contest to decide a new prime minister.  

In an emotional statement delivered today, she said she had "done my best" to honour the 2016 EU referendum result and It would remain a matter of "deep regret" that I have been unable to deliver Brexit, she added.  

May said she will continue to serve as prime minister while a Conservative leadership contest takes place. She will step down as Tory leader on June 7th and a leadership contest is due to begin the following week.

Theresa May has faced a backlash from her MPs against her latest Brexit plan, which included concessions aimed at attracting cross-party support.

Andrea Leadsom quit as Commons leader on Wednesday saying she no longer believed it would "deliver on the referendum result". May met Home Secretary Sajid Javid and Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt at Downing Street on Thursday where they are understood to have expressed their concerns about the bill.

In her statement today, she said that in order to deliver Brexit, her successor would have to build agreement in Parliament. "Such a consensus can only be reached if those on all sides of the debate are willing to compromise," she said.