Race to succeed May centers on 'no deal' Brexit battle

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The prospect of a "no deal" Brexit was fast becoming the central battle of the race to succeed Prime Minister Theresa May on Sunday, as environment minister Michael Gove became the latest candidate to declare.

May said on Friday she would step down next month, and several of those vying to replace her have said Britain must leave the EU on its October 31 deadline even if that means quitting without a deal.

Britain's Theresa May to step down on June 7

06:22

Her decision potentially opening the way for a new leader who could seek a more divisive split with the European Union and lead to confrontation with the bloc or a possible parliamentary election.

Setting out their pitch to the Conservative Party's largely pro-Brexit membership who will decide the outcome of the contest, four of the leadership hopefuls have said Britain must leave the EU on October 31 even if this means a no-deal Brexit.

"I will fight for a fairer deal in Brussels ... if not I will be clear we will leave on WTO terms in October," former Brexit minister Dominic Raab, who bookmakers rank as the second favorite to win, told BBC TV.

"If you're not willing to walk away from a negotiation, it doesn't focus the mind of the other side ... I will not ask for an extension."

British Prime Minister Theresa May and former Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson arrive for the ceremonial welcome of Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos at Horse Guards Parade, London, November 1, 2016. /Reuters Photo

Fellow contenders Esther McVey and Andrea Leadsom both made similar comments on Sunday, while former foreign minister Boris Johnson, the favorite to replace May, said on Friday: "We will leave the EU on October 31, deal or no deal."

Boris Johnson stakes leadership claim as Brexit brings down May

Gove, a leading campaigner for Brexit during the 2016 referendum campaign and a candidate in the Conservative leadership contest that May ultimately won, told reporters on Sunday that he planned to run again.

"I am ready to unite the Conservative and Unionist Party, ready to deliver Brexit and ready to lead this great country," he said, without giving any detail on his plans for Brexit.

(Cover: Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May arrives at church with her husband Philip, near High Wycombe, Britain, May 26, 2019. /Reuters Photo )

Source(s): Reuters