London, May 24 (UNI) As she was under pressure to resign, after a backlash by her own MPs against her latest Brexit plan, the British Prime Minister Theresa May on Friday announced that she would resign from her post on Friday June 7.
With Friday morning's confirmation that Mrs May will remain PM until her successor is chosen, it's now clear that she will serve longer than Gordon Brown did. She will officially surpass Mr Brown's length of term next Wednesday, when she hits two years, 320 days in office.
When she eventually leaves Number 10 in the summer, however, her premiership will still be one of the shortest, said a BBC News report.
The PM was moved to tears when she ended her statement. "Our politics may be under strain but there is so much that is good about this country, so much to be proud of," she said.
"I will shortly leave the job that it has been the honour of my life to hold.
She began to cry as she said she is grateful to "serve the country I love". And with that she headed back into Number 10.
"A very sad but inevitable consequence of all that has happened," says Conservative MP Gareth Johnson.
"Now the Conservative Party has to take time to reflect on that statement and obviously go on to elect a new leader. There is plenty of new talent out there but the person to unite the party is Dominic Raab."
Since January, Parliament has rejected the withdrawal agreement Mrs May negotiated with the EU three times. Recent attempts to find a formal compromise with Labour also failed.
Mrs May had planned to publish the Withdrawal Agreement Bill on Friday - the legislation required to bring the agreement into UK law - describing it as "one last chance" to deliver Brexit.
However, her proposals - including a customs union arrangement and an offer to give MPs a vote on holding another referendum - angered many Tories.
Theresa May was elected Conservative MP for Maidenhead in May 1997.
During her time in opposition she held a number of positions including shadow secretary for education.
Under David Cameron she served as home secretary from May 2010 to July 2016 - the longest period of time any politician has held that position.
She became prime minister in July 2016, succeeding Mr Cameron, who resigned in the wake of the EU referendum.
Scottish Secretary David Mundell said he was "very sorry it has come to this".
In a statement he said: "Nobody could have worked harder, or shown a greater sense of public duty, in delivering the result of the EU referendum than Theresa May.
"She has my utmost respect for those endeavours, in the most challenging of circumstances, as well as her unswerving commitment to the union.
"As Mrs May herself acknowledges, she has, however unfairly, become an impediment to the resolution of Brexit, and was no longer being given a hearing by Parliament."
Environment Secretary Michael Gove calls Mrs May's speech "moving".
While Steve Baker, who strongly opposed Mrs May's Brexit deal, called it "very dignified".
And Dominic Raab, a candidate to replace Mrs May as party leader, called her a "patriot" and "loyal Conservative".
Former commons leader Andrea Leadsom, Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd, and Chief Whip Julian Smith have reacted to Mrs May's announcement.
Another Conservative MP, Pauline Latham, praises Theresa May as "very sincere and determined".
Conservative Peter Bone says the next leader has to be someone "who believes in Leave" and someone not associated with the Brexit deal.
Welsh Conservative leader Paul Davies AM thanked Mrs May for her dedication and commitment to Wales over her many years in politics.
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