Conservative MPs start the process of selecting a new leader today as the frontrunner, home secretary Theresa May, faced criticism for refusing to offer guarantees to EU citizens currently living in Britain.
MPs will vote in the first of up to three secret ballots, which will whittle the field of five candidates down to two to go before the party membership.
Ms May has argued that the status of such migrants would be part of Britain’s negotiations to leave the EU, along with that of British citizens living in other EU member states.
Energy minister Andrea Leadsom, who formally launched her leadership campaign yesterday, said EU citizens living in Britain should not be used as "bargaining chips" but should be allowed to remain in the country.
“I commit today to guaranteeing the rights of our EU friends who have come here to live and work. We must give them certainty; there is no way they will be bargaining chips in our negotiations,” she said.
The other candidates – justice secretary Michael Gove, work and pensions secretary Stephen Crabb and former defence secretary Liam Fox – have all adopted a similar position to Ms Leadsom.
Formal negotiations
Ms May is the clear favourite, with more than 100 public pledges of support from MPs, while Ms Leadsom and Mr Gove are competing to be the standard-bearer for pro-Brexit MPs.
Ms Leadsom said yesterday that she would not delay invoking article 50 of the Lisbon treaty, starting formal exit negotiations. She also ruled out any compromise on the free movement of people.
“On free movement, we have to very quickly get in control of the numbers of people who are coming here, whether that means we have to have a transitional arrangement since the referendum, or indeed since negotiations start. But it is very clear that what we must prioritise as soon as possible, now there is clarity about the direction that we are going in, that we want to control the numbers of people coming here,” she said.
As Ms May and Ms Leadsom won a number of fresh backers, Mr Gove received the support of former Northern Ireland first minister David Trimble. Mr Gove has been a fierce critic of the Belfast Agreement and many of the policies pursued as part of the peace process but Lord Trimble said he was the best man to lead the country.
Challenging period
"This is a challenging period for the United Kingdom. The government's most important task will be negotiating a new relationship with our European allies and seeking opportunities worldwide," Mr Trimble said.
“I’ve been involved in critical negotiations in the past; I know what it takes and Michael Gove has it. He is without doubt the most qualified candidate to be our next prime minister.”
As Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn continues to be under pressure to resign, he faced questions from a parliamentary committee about anti-Semitism in the party.
He said he regretted an apparent comparison last week between Israel and the Islamic State terrorist group, saying he meant to say that Jews were no more responsible for the actions of Israel than Muslims were for those of Islamic states.
Later, in a video posted on Twitter, Mr Corbyn issued a defence of his record as Labour leader and reiterated that he had no intention of resigning.
“Only nine months ago I was very honoured to be elected leader of our party with 60 per dent of the votes. I have a huge responsibility, I’m carrying out that responsibility,” he said.
He was speaking after the former shadow business secretary Angela Eagle said she would mount a leadership challenge if Mr Corbyn did not step down.
