DNA Edit: May’s watch ends – And Brexit appears more ambiguous than ever

Prime Minister Theresa May gave in to pressure from her party and brought to a close another phase in post-Brexit Britain’s politics as she announced the end of her watch on Friday. The stepping down of the “zombie Prime Minister” from the premiership, after having failed thrice to broker a Brexit deal, puts the country, once again, in uncharted waters. Prime Ministerial hopefuls had been circling May’s job for several months, the most prominent one of them being Boris Johnson, who quit as Foreign Minister in July last year. The Brexiteer had declared he would run for PM and tweeted soon after May’s announcement, that “it is time to deliver Brexit”. The favourite PM choice for UK’s bookies, Johnson faces tough opposition within the Conservative party and has been described as too divisive and hardline a leader. An eventuality which will still take several weeks to materialise, Britain’s new leader will have to contend with an adamant Europe and disillusioned, exhausted citizens. 

The European Union’s (EU) leadership, for its part, made it clear that her resignation changes nothing about the withdrawal agreement. France’s Emmanuel Macron wasted no time in asking for a “rapid clarification”. Spain feared for an “inevitable hard divorce”.The only thing clear in Britain’s mired politics is that there is to be a confrontation with the EU — which will soon have a brand new Parliament after the end of elections — as a new leader might want a more swift, decisive split from the bloc. Last but not least, even before she formally resigns on June 7, PM May will be hosting US President Donald Trump for a three-day visit. The traditional UK ally, driven by his penchant for trade disputes all over the world, brings a whole other bag of problems for the British leadership. God save Great Britain!