Tory leadership candidates on Brexit: contenders ranked by how hard a Brexiteer they are Who could be the next Prime Minister and what would their Brexit policy be? All you need to know

Theresa May has announced that she will resign as Prime Minister on 7 June.

Esther McVey, Rory Stewart, Boris Johnson, and Andrea Leadsom had already declared their candidacies, before Mrs May’s announcement on 24 May.

Jeremy Hunt, Michael Gove and Dominic Raab have now joined them, with still more tipped to swell the ranks of contenders.

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The next Tory leader would also be the next Prime Minister and would likely be leading the next stage of the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union – so what are their views on Brexit?

i has listed them, starting from the most ardent Brexiteer to the reluctant leaver.

Steve Baker

MP for Wycombe

Brexit stance: Mr Baker is a leading member of the European Research Group, which counts many Tory Brexiteers in its ranks. He was a Brexit campaigner before and during the referendum and claims that forwarding the cause was his core motivation for joining the Conservative party in the first place. Mr Baker is a supporter of a no-deal Brexit and has been vehemently against Mrs May’s deal.

Mr Baker is an unlikely candidate in the contest but some Tories who argue that Brexit must be delivered by a Brexiteer prime minister may look to him as a possible leader.

He named David Davis, Mr Raab, Mr Johnson and Ms McVey as his preferred candidates, and said the next leader of the Conservative Party cannot be an MP who has voted for Mrs May’s deal.

But the Eurosceptic warned that he will stand for the Tory leadership if other Brexiteers vote for the Prime Minister’s deal to leave the EU.

Jacob Rees-Mogg

MP for North East Somerset

Brexit stance: Mr Rees-Mogg is a prominent Eurosceptic hugely influential in the party, not least due to his role as chair of the European Research Group. He is a supporter of a hard Brexit and has been continually critical of Mrs May’s handling of the Brexit negotiations – arguing that her deal does not take the UK out of the EU. He has, however, suggested he would be supportive of a so-called “Canada-plus” style deal which would allow for tariff-free trade between the UK and EU without the UK remaining in the single market or the customs union.

Considered to be a spokesman for many Brexiteer Tories, Mr Rees-Mogg has been consistently cited as a possible contender for the leadership.

He previously took a leading role in an unsuccessful bid to oust Mrs May through a no confidence vote and, when it failed, called on the Prime Minister to resign.

Mr Rees-Mogg has, however, in the past specified he would not put himself forward for the leadership, saying that his tactics were “nothing about ambition”.

Boris Johnson

MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip

Brexit stance: Mr Johnson was one of the most recognisable faces of the Vote Leave campaign and has been a Brexit figurehead ever since. He resigned from the Cabinet after the Prime Minister unveiled her Brexit strategy in 2018, saying that ministers were “saying one thing to the EU about what we are really doing, and pretending another to the electorate”. He has faced criticism for using writing in a column that the Government had “wrapped a suicide vest around the British constitution – and handed the detonator to Michel Barnier” in the course of the Brexit negotiations and was chastised by the press watchdog for suggesting a no-deal Brexit was “by some margin preferred by the British public” was false. Despite his heavy criticism of Mrs May, and twice voting against her deal, he reluctantly backed her agreement when MPs were asked to vote for a third time.

The former foreign secretary has eyed the job of Tory leader for a long time and, when he resigned last year, there were rumours of a leadership bid.

He confirmed he would be standing in a speech at the British Insurance Brokers’ Association conference, declaring: “Of course I’m going to go for it.”

The former foreign secretary was immediately installed as favourite to win the Tory crown following his confirmation that he would mount a second bid for the job.

The leading Brexiteer said Mrs May’s EU withdrawal strategy would leave the UK “captive” but, the following day after Mrs May’s announcement that she would be prepared to step down, he said that he would support her Brexit deal.

Some traditionalist Tories are not of Mr Johnson, who has a chequered political and personal history, and do not support his controversial political tactics.

Esther McVey

MP for Wirral West

Brexit stance: Ms McVey campaigned to Leave in the 2016 referendum and resigned from the Government in November when Mrs May’s draft deal was announced. She has also voted in favour of the UK leaving the EU without a deal in March. Announcing her plan to run for leadership she said that her party needed a leader who “believes in Brexit”.

Ms McVey declared in an interview with TalkRadio that she would be running for leadership.

“I’ve always said quite clearly if I got enough support from colleagues then yes I would, and now people have come forward and I have got that support, so I will be going forward,” she said.

During her time as work and pensions secretary, Ms McVey faced criticism for he handling of the roll-out of the Government’s flagship benefits scheme called Universal Credit.

Problems with the implementation left claimants out of pocket – with some waiting months for payments.

The National Audit Office (NAO) accused Ms McVey of misleading Parliament after she told MPs that a report published by the body advised the new scheme should be rolled out faster when, in fact, it warned the process should be paused.

She apologised to the House of Commons and admitted that there had been problems with the Universal Credit roll-out.

Dominic Raab

Brexit stance: Mr Raab campaigned to leave, arguing that it would be better for the economy, jobs and would cut the prices in shops. He took over from David Davis as Brexit Secretary but just months later resigned in protest of the draft deal approved by Cabinet. His main opposition to the deal is that it would “lead to an indefinite if not permanent situation where [the UK is] locked into a regime with no say over the rules being applied, with no exit mechanism”. Mr Raab said that Mrs May’s deal was worse than remaining in the EU, but voted in favour of it at the occasion of the third vote.

The former Brexit Secretary sent shockwaves through Westminster by resigning just hours after Mrs May announced that she had “collective” agreement from her Cabinet to back the deal.

He has less ministerial experience than some of his potential competitors but his unexpected resignation last year made him briefly the bookies’ favourite to succeed Mrs May.

He appeared to set out policies for a future manifesto in an interview on Sunday in which he appeared alongside his wife Erika in their family home.

In an apparent bid to boost his popularity, he argued for a new law that would make it illegal to make pregnant mothers redundant, and for a cut to the basic rate of income tax.

Michael Gove

MP for Surrey Heath

Brexit stance: Mr Gove said that his choice to campaign to leave the EU was “the most difficult decision of my political life” but that he believed the country would be better off for doing so. He went on to become one of the prominent campaigners and argued that Britain would be “freer, fairer and better off” out of the bloc. As a member of the Cabinet, he has been supportive of Mrs May’s proposed deal. He is understood to have been skeptical but has kept his views private and outwardly supported the deal. He has also been involved in negotiations to gain backing for it from the Labour Party.

Environment Secretary Michael Gove sparked speculation that he is gearing up for another leadership bid emerged after giving an interview from his parents’ home in Aberdeen in which he said he had learned from his 2016 leadership attempt.

He briefly stood against Mrs May in 2016, ending Mr Johnson’s candidacy in the process and gave him a reputation for being disloyal to colleagues.

He said of the decision that it was “not my finest hour” but did not confirm whether he would run in any new contest.

Mr Gove’s time as Environment Secretary has allowed him to rehabilitate his reputation as a Machiavellian figure in the Tory Party.

He has outwardly supported the Prime Minister’s Brexit deal and been working to build up his own reputation as being a loyal member of the Cabinet.

Andrea Leadsom

MP for South Northamptonshire

Brexit stance: Despite previously having warned against the UK leaving the European Union, back in 2013, Ms Leadsom became a high-profile member of the Leave campaign. In a televised debate on the EU referendum, Ms Leadsom argued that the UK economy was too large to have to rely on the single market and is hindered by the slowness of EU trade procedures. She h as remained publicly loyal to Mrs May over her deahe has described the UK’s continued membership of the EU as “disgusting” and claimed that a Eurosceptic prime minister would have delivered Brexit already.

Ms Leadsom has said she is “seriously considering” running for the Conservative leadership when the Prime Minister resigns.

She previously ran against Mrs May in the Conservative leadership race after David Cameron’s resignation.

But she dropped out after making comments about being a mother that were widely interpreted to be an attack on Theresa and Philip May’s inability to have children.

Her decision to exit the race lead to Mrs May’s victory.

Ms Leadsom’s role as Leader of the House during Mrs May’s tenure has boosted her position and reputation,

But she has previously admitted that she found the scrutiny of the previous leadership bid difficult.

Penny Mordaunt

MP for Portsmouth North

Brexit stance:

Ms Mordaunt supported leaving the EU and was criticised during the 2016 campaign after claiming UK did not have veto on Turkey joining the EU, which was untrue.

She is one of the last remaining pro-Brexit members of Mrs May’s cabinet and had been expected to be one of several to resign over the Prime Minister’s proposed deal, but she remained and has publicly supported the Government’s position.

Ms Mordaunt was previously international development minister before being appointed Britain’s first female Defence Secretary this month.

Sajid Javid

MP for Bromsgrove

Brexit stance: A long-time Eurosceptic, Mr Javid supported an EU referendum and it was assumed he would join the Leave campaign. In the end, he backed Remain amid speculation he was pressured into doing so by then leader David Cameron and chancellor George Osborne. He is of the opinion that the referendum result should be respected and accused High Court judges of attempting to thwart the will of the British people when they rules that the Prime Minister could not trigger Article 50 without Parliament’s backing.

Mr Javid has been a popular Home Secretary since taking over from Amber Rudd, specifically over his handling of the aftermath of the Windrush scandal, and is a front-runner in the leadership race.

He has been praised for his tough stance on immigration and his readiness to take on Mrs May on issues they clashed over.

Rumours swirled in December that Mr Javid had told colleagues of his plans to launch a bid if Mrs May is ousted and recent speeches in which he has referenced his background and upbringing.

Speaking about knife crime last month, Mr Javid said he “could have had a life of crime” after growing up on “Britain’s most dangerous street”.

His hard stance on the return of Shamima Begum, the former Bethnal Green schoolgirl who joined Islamic State, boosted his popularity among some Conservatives but dismayed others.

Jeremy Hunt

MP for South West Surrey

Brexit stance: Mr Hunt campaigned for Remain in the 2016 referendum and, despite since establishing himself as a firm leaver, would still be a more moderate candidate on Brexit in any leadership election. After the result he initially suggested a second referendum on the terms of any exit deal with him personally backing staying in the Single Market, but he later said he had changed his mind. He has expressed concerns about leaving the EU without a deal and been a supporter of Mrs Mays proposed deal, although in an interview with the Daily Telegraph, he suggested the UK would “flourish and prosper” even without an agreement.

Mr Hunt, the Foreign Secretary, is considered to be an extremely loyal member of the Tory party and, largely, resilient.

He was able to secure £20billion a year in extra funding for the NHS, when he was Health Secretary, which was seen as a huge victory.

But it was only recently that he took on junior doctors over their working contracts, which made him extremely unpopular with the public.

He has not confirmed that he will run for party leader, despite telling friends he would like “to have a crack at the top job”.

He also used a recent newspaper profile to introduce voters to his wife, Lucia, whom he described as the “perfect partner”.

Rory Stewart

MP for Penrith and The Border

Brexit stance: Mr Stewart supported the Remain campaign in the 2016 referendum but, following the result, said that “the decision is made”, urging the county to ” be energetic and optimistic” about it. He has been a constant and public defender of Mrs May’s Brexit deal saying that it “respects the democratic result of the referendum” whilst “reach[ing] out to and addres[sing] the concerns of more than 16 million who voted Remain”. He said that the UK should leave with a deal “which protects our economy” and has opposed a no deal.

Mr Stewart began his leadership bid in an interview with The Spectator last month when he said he “loves government” is “really proud of the country” and is “very enthusiastic”.

The newly-appointed International Development Secretary, a former diplomat, said he was one of the only “genuine specialists” in Parliament.

Amber Rudd

MP for Hastings and Rye

Brexit stance: Ms Rudd supported remaining in the EU ahead of the 2016 vote and, following the result, suggested a second referendum over Brexit could be appropriate. She said: “Parliament has to reach a majority on how it’s going to leave the European Union. If it fails to do so, then I can see the argument for taking it back to the people again, much as it would distress many of my colleagues.”

Last month, Amber Rudd refused to rule out running in the next Conservative leadership race, saying she is “keeping the door slightly ajar” to the possibility.

Ms Rudd is one of the most senior Remain-supporting Tories, and has regained standing in the Government since resigning in April 2018 over the Windrush scandal.

On Thursday, she announced that the Government was reducing the maximum sanction for those who breach benefits rules from three years to six months.

She said she hoped to “reverse” any damage done to the Conservative brand through harsh benefit sanctions, in what could be seen as an attempt to improve her own image as well.

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