Theresa May's days in Downing Street are coming to a rapid end.

The prime minister announced her resignation date on Friday, saying she will step down as leader of the Conservative Party on 7 June. She will stay on as prime minister until a new leader is elected.

The announcement came amid mounting calls from Conservatives MP for her to quit. She angered many Tories on Tuesday by making a fresh offer on Brexit in a final bid to get her deal through parliament, including compromises on a customs union and a second referendum.

Ms May met Sir Graham Brady, chair of the 1922 Committee that represents Tory MPs, on Friday morning to announce her intention to step down.

Why has she gone now?

Ms May had previously rejected all calls to step down before she had delivered Brexit.

She had vowed to resign if MPs approved her exit deal, but had not said when she will leave office if she was unable to secure approval for her plan.

With there being little prospect of the deal passing the Commons, she came under mounting pressure to set a timetable for her departure regardless of what happens in relation to Brexit.

Her latest compromise Brexit offer prompted a fresh wave of fury among Tory MPs and sped up her departure.

House of Commons leader Andrea Leadsom resigned, while other cabinet ministers including Jeremy Hunt and Sajid Javid sought private meetings with the prime minister to tell her they could not support the plan, and many MPs stepped up their calls for her to go.

What would have happened if she refused to go?

If Ms May had refused to step down, she would likely have been being forced from office either by her cabinet or by Conservative MPs.

Both had grown increasingly frustrated at her handling of Brexit and there are now very few Tory MPs who believe she should stay in office beyond the next few weeks.

Under current Conservative Party rules, a vote of no confidence in the leader cannot be held until December - a year after the last one, which Ms May won. However, the executive of the 1922 Committee had come under pressure to change this.

Who could succeed Theresa May as Conservative leader? Show all 9 1 /9 Who could succeed Theresa May as Conservative leader? Who could succeed Theresa May as Conservative leader? Boris Johnson Former foreign secretary Boris Johnson has long been hopeful, he previously stood in the leadership contest that followed the Brexit vote and has at many times since been thought to be maneuvering himself towards the goal. He remains a darling of the party's right wing, particularly those in the ERG, and is the most popular choice among Tory voters but his leadership bid would be fiercely opposed by many MPs PA Who could succeed Theresa May as Conservative leader? Michael Gove Environment secretary Michael Gove is another member who has long wanted to be leader. He has lately been known for rousing his party in the commons, his recent speeches on the Brexit deal and Labour's no confidence motion have overshadowed the Prime Minister's. He has been loyal to the Prime Minister, partly to shed his reputation as a backstabber who abandoned Boris Johnson to stand against him in the 2016 leadership election Getty Who could succeed Theresa May as Conservative leader? Dominic Raab Former Brexit secretary Dominic Raab has emerged as a favourite to be the Brexiteer candidate in a contest to succeed to Ms May. He displayed a grip on detail in his role as Brexit secretary. When asked recently if he would like to become prime minister he replied "never say never" Getty Who could succeed Theresa May as Conservative leader? Rory Stewart International development secretary Rory Stewart is pitching himself as the sensible candidate, promising to rule out both a second referendum and a no-deal Brexit. He was only recently promoted to the cabinet, previously serving as prisons minister, where he caught headlines with a pledge to resign if he could not reduce levels of violence within a year PA Who could succeed Theresa May as Conservative leader? Esther McVey The former work and pensions secretary announced that she will be standing for the leadership when May leaves. McVey is the first to explicitly state that she intends to stand. She resigned from the cabinet in protest over May's Brexit deal AFP/Getty Who could succeed Theresa May as Conservative leader? Sajid Javid Home secretary Sajid Javid is said to have a plan in place for a leadership race. He made headlines over Christmas when he declared that people smuggling over the English channel was a "major incident" and more recently when he revoked the citizenship of ISIS bride Shamima Begum. Son of a bus driver, he wants the Conservatives to be seen as the party of social mobility PA Who could succeed Theresa May as Conservative leader? Jeremy Hunt Foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt was recently thought to be the favourite in the event of a leadership race as he could sell himself as the man to unite the party. Critics worry that his long stint as health secretary could return to haunt him at a general election. He has reportedly been holding meetings with Tory MPs over breakfast to promote his leadership PA Who could succeed Theresa May as Conservative leader? Andrea Leadsom Following the Prime Minister's second defeat over her Brexit deal, Leader of the house Andrea Leadsom hosted a dinner party at which "leadership was the only topic of conversation", The Times heard. Leadsom ran against Theresa May in the 2016 leadership election before dropping out, allowing May to become Prime Minister AFP/Getty Who could succeed Theresa May as Conservative leader? Priti Patel Former international development secretary Priti Patel is thought to be positioning herself as a contender. One MP told The Independent "she knows she's from the right of the party, the part which is going to choose the next leader, so she's reminding everyone she's there." Patel left the government late in 2017 after it emerged that she had held undisclosed meetings with Israeli officials PA

The executive had already a secret ballot on whether to change the rules to allow another vote of confidence in Ms May within days. These votes would have been counted on Friday if Ms May had refused to set a date for her departure when she met Sir Graham.

Ms May would have known that, if the rules were amended, the threshold to trigger a confidence vote would almost certainly have been met. And while she comfortably saw off the bid to oust her last December, it was widely believed that there would now have been a majority among Conservative MPs for her to be forced from office.

What will happen on 7 June, when she steps down?

Ms May will step down as Conservative Party leader on 7 June, but not as prime minister.

She will carry on governing the country and fulfilling her official duties until a successor is chosen.

The Conservative leadership contest will begin formally the week after she steps down - on 10 June. Nominations will close in the same week.

The length of the contest is determined by the executive of the 1922 Committee in conjunction with the Conservative Party board.

In a joint statement released shortly after Ms May's announcement, Conservative Party chairman Brandon Lewis and 1922 committee vice-chairs Charles Walker and Dame Cheryl Gillan said the process would be completed in time for a new prime minister to be in place before parliament's summer break begins in mid-July.

Ms May is likely to use the intervening period to try to pass legislation on her pet projects - and possibly some of the less contentious parts of her Brexit deal - in order to secure some form of legacy.

Theresa May: 'If Parliament passes the Bill before the summer recess, the UK will leave the EU by the end of July'

How does a Tory leadership contest work?

Conservative Party rules are vague about how the leadership contest should work.

All the rules state is that Conservative MPs will whittle down the number of candidates, of which there are expected to be many, to two. This will take place in a series of sequential votes, which will to take place before the end of June.

The final two candidates will go through to a ballot of all party members, which will take place, along with a series of hustings, in early July. The current bookmakers' favourite is Boris Johnson, but at least ten senior Tories are expected to throw their hat in the ring. You can read more about all of the likely candidates here.

What does it mean for Brexit?

Theresa May's deal is dead on arrival in the Commons - so much so that, despite promising she would put it before the Commons again in early June, she is now unlikely to even bother putting it to another vote.

Even many Tory MPs who voted for it last time around, when it was defeated by 58 votes, say they will not do so again.

What this means for Britain's departure from the EU depends on who takes over as prime minister.

If, as many expect, the next leader is a Brexiteer such as Boris Johnson or Dominic Raab, they will have to decide whether to try to renegotiate the deal or leave without a deal on 31 October.