History of the Conservative Party (UK) Foreign affairs select committee described the lack of planning as "gross negligence" which made his successor's task much more difficult. In July 2016 Theresa May succeeded David Cameron as Tory Leader and Prime Minister following Andrea Leadsom's withdrawal from the leadership contest. She is the second woman to lead the party and subsequently the second female Prime Minister, following Margaret Thatcher. With the support of 199/320 Conservative MPs, May was seen as the most experienced figure who could unite the party after a bitter campaign in which Michael Gove, a supporter and running mate of Boris Johnson, publicly declared Johnson
2015 Jeremy Corbyn Labour Party leadership campaign 'No' vote in the proposed referendum on EU membership. His words were met with criticism from the other leadership candidates, notably Liz Kendall, who responded by saying that the party ought to be "unashamedly pro-EU". In August 2015, Nigel Farage, Leader of the UK Independence Party, wrote in the "Daily Telegraph", inviting Corbyn to join him to campaign in favour of withdrawing from the EU. Corbyn has, however, re-affirmed his pro-Europeanism and support for the UK remaining a member of the European Union. Corbyn is a prominent member of Stop the War Coalition and the Palestine Solidarity Campaign. He holds