Cameron chairs last cabinet as PM, May prepares for office
British Prime Minister David Cameron chaired a farewell cabinet meeting Tuesday, a day before handing over power to his successor following the historic vote to leave the European Union.
Ministers gathered for the final session a day after Home Secretary Theresa May was confirmed as the new Conservative leader and prime minister-in-waiting, and as a moving van arrived in Downing St. ahead of Cameron's departure on Wednesday.
Culture Secretary John Whittingdale said there had been a "touch of sadness" to the meeting, which saw May and Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne led tributes to Cameron.
Cameron resigned after Britons voted on June 23, against his advice, to leave the EU. May will have to deal with the political fallout and oversee the complex process of separating from the bloc. She was set to spend the day considering the makeup of her own cabinet before she moves into 10 Downing St. on Wednesday.
British media have focused on whether Osborne will keep his job in charge of the economy.
With the pound in crisis and fears over the economy, some argue that May could opt for continuity and keep Osborne in place, particularly as he has the confidence of many in the banks and markets. But others say that the key position should go to someone who favored leaving the European Union.
May supported remaining in the EU, but has promised to give prominent Leave campaigners key cabinet roles in a bid to heal the party's longstanding split over Europe.
She has also said she will appoint a "Brexit minister" to oversee negotiations with the EU.
Calls are already growing for Britain's prime-minister-in-waiting, May, to move faster in opening Brexit negotiations. She is also facing calls from opposition politicians to call an early election, before the next scheduled vote in 2020.
May might be tempted to go to the polls to confirm her own mandate, and because the main opposition Labour Party is in the midst of a leadership struggle that puts it in a weak position.
Leader Jeremy Corbyn has lost the support of most Labour members of Parliament and is facing a challenge from legislator Angela Eagle. Left-winger Corbyn has a strong base of support among grassroots Labour members and some trade union leaders.
May was born Theresa Brasier in the southern English seaside town of Eastbourne in 1956. Her father Hubert was an Anglican clergyman, one of several points which has drawn comparisons between her and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Her education, at a series of little known state and private schools, has been contrasted with the elite Etonian background of Cameron and many in his Notting Hill Set circle. Like Cameron, she attended Oxford University but kept a low profile. May worked in finance, including at the Bank of England, before being elected as a deputy for the London commuter town of Maidenhead in 1997.
When the Conservatives won the 2010 general election, May was named home secretary, the hardest job in government, which has wrecked a string of other political careers. But May has kept the job for six years, the longest serving interior minister since 1892.
Ministers gathered for the final session a day after Home Secretary Theresa May was confirmed as the new Conservative leader and prime minister-in-waiting, and as a moving van arrived in Downing St. ahead of Cameron's departure on Wednesday.
Culture Secretary John Whittingdale said there had been a "touch of sadness" to the meeting, which saw May and Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne led tributes to Cameron.
Cameron resigned after Britons voted on June 23, against his advice, to leave the EU. May will have to deal with the political fallout and oversee the complex process of separating from the bloc. She was set to spend the day considering the makeup of her own cabinet before she moves into 10 Downing St. on Wednesday.
British media have focused on whether Osborne will keep his job in charge of the economy.
With the pound in crisis and fears over the economy, some argue that May could opt for continuity and keep Osborne in place, particularly as he has the confidence of many in the banks and markets. But others say that the key position should go to someone who favored leaving the European Union.
May supported remaining in the EU, but has promised to give prominent Leave campaigners key cabinet roles in a bid to heal the party's longstanding split over Europe.
She has also said she will appoint a "Brexit minister" to oversee negotiations with the EU.
Calls are already growing for Britain's prime-minister-in-waiting, May, to move faster in opening Brexit negotiations. She is also facing calls from opposition politicians to call an early election, before the next scheduled vote in 2020.
May might be tempted to go to the polls to confirm her own mandate, and because the main opposition Labour Party is in the midst of a leadership struggle that puts it in a weak position.
Leader Jeremy Corbyn has lost the support of most Labour members of Parliament and is facing a challenge from legislator Angela Eagle. Left-winger Corbyn has a strong base of support among grassroots Labour members and some trade union leaders.
May was born Theresa Brasier in the southern English seaside town of Eastbourne in 1956. Her father Hubert was an Anglican clergyman, one of several points which has drawn comparisons between her and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Her education, at a series of little known state and private schools, has been contrasted with the elite Etonian background of Cameron and many in his Notting Hill Set circle. Like Cameron, she attended Oxford University but kept a low profile. May worked in finance, including at the Bank of England, before being elected as a deputy for the London commuter town of Maidenhead in 1997.
When the Conservatives won the 2010 general election, May was named home secretary, the hardest job in government, which has wrecked a string of other political careers. But May has kept the job for six years, the longest serving interior minister since 1892.
Last Update: July 12, 2016 22:50