Who will succeed Theresa May? Candidates for the post of Conservative leader in the United Kingdom officially submitted their nominations on Monday, June 10. The successor to the Prime Minister will be chosen by the end of July. Ten contenders are on the line after one of them is withdrawn. Overview of each of them and their strategies on Brexit.

Boris Johnson

The former mayor of London is a favorite. Boris Johnson was one of the great architects of the Brexit victory in the referendum of June 2016. His position is firm: he wants the UK to leave the EU on October 31, renegotiated agreement or not.

Former Minister of Foreign Affairs Theresa May, he has repeatedly criticized his strategy in the negotiations with Brussels, before leaving the government. The elected 54-year-old threatens not to pay the bill Brexit - an amount valued between 40 and 45 billion euros - if the EU does not accept its conditions.

Andrea Leadsom

Fervent attorney for Brexit, the minister in charge of relations with Parliament resigned in late May, in disagreement with the strategy of Theresa May. Andrea Leadsom wants to leave the EU without agreement, hoping however to agree on some arrangements. As a reminder, she was an unfortunate finalist in the race for the post of head of government in 2016.

Michael Gove

Minister of the Environment and slayer of plastic, this eurosceptic 51-year-old played the role of bail for the Brexit supporters in the May government. If Brussels agrees to renegotiate, he is ready to request a new postponement of Brexit to avoid an exit without agreement on 31 October. Considered one of the favorites, he is the subject of controversy for admitting to having used cocaine twenty years ago.

Esther Mcvey

Esther McVey defends a "clean break" with the European Union. She resigned in November 2018 as Labor Minister in Theresa May's government after opposing the same month's withdrawal agreement between the Prime Minister and the EU on Brexit.

Jeremy Hunt

The 52-year-old Foreign Minister had backed the move to the EU before changing his mind, disappointed by Brussels' "arrogant" approach to the negotiations. If this former businessman, fluent in Japanese, said a "no deal was better than no Brexit", he now believes that seeking an exit without agreement in October would be "political suicide" for conservatives in power and think they can renegotiate with the EU.

Rory Stewart

Minister of International Development, Rory Stewart, 46, is an adventurer who served in Iraq as the deputy governor of the coalition after the US invasion in 2003.

Sajid Javid

Appointed in 2018 as head of the Ministry of the Interior, Sajid Javid, 49, is a former banker, son of a Pakistani bus driver. He had spoken out against the Brexit at the time of the June 2016 referendum, but now defends eurosceptic positions. He is supported in particular by the popular leader of the Conservative Party in Scotland, Ruth Davidson.

Matt Hancock

A former Bank of England economist, Health Minister Matt Hancock, 40, was initially in charge of the Digital Portfolio.

Dominic Raab

Named Brexit Minister in July 2018, Dominic Raab resigned four months later, after opposing Theresa May's deal. A former lawyer specializing in international law, this 45-year-old ultra-liberal and Eurosceptic MP is one of the figures of the new conservative guard.

Mark Harper

The 49-year-old MP prides himself on being the only candidate not to have served in Theresa May's government. This former head of parliamentary discipline among the Tories believes that the date of Brexit must be pushed back to ensure a successful exit. However, if this postponement did not have the desired effect, it would be ready for a "no deal".

With AFP