Michael Gove, Theresa May head five-way Conservative race

Justice Secretary Michael Gove and Home Secretary Theresa May lead a five-way race to be the next Conservative Party leader and United Kingdom (UK) prime minister.

Mr. Gove was a surprise addition to the race, having been expected to back Boris Johnson, who shocked the political world by ruling himself out.

Minister Andrea Leadsom, MP Liam Fox and Work and Pensions Secretary, Stephen Crabb, are also in the running.

The winner of the contest is set to be announced on September 9.

The leadership battle has been sparked by David Cameron’s decision to step down as prime minister after losing the European Union (EU) referendum, which saw the country vote by 52 per cent to 48 per cent to leave the EU.

Mr. Gove’s announcement early yesterday that he would challenge the leadership was unexpected, as the justice secretary had been expected to throw his weight behind fellow leading Leave campaigner, Mr. Johnson, for Conservative leader.

Explaining his decision, he said: “I have repeatedly said that I do not want to be prime minister. That has always been my view. But events since last Thursday have weighed heavily with me.

“I respect and admire all the candidates running for the leadership. In particular, I wanted to help build a team behind Boris Johnson so that a politician who argued for leaving the European Union could lead us to a better future.

“But I have come, reluctantly, to the conclusion that Boris cannot provide the leadership or build the team for the task ahead.”

“Shakespearian” is the word being mumbled by dazed politicians and pundits at Westminster.

The ambitions, rivalries and duplicitous double-dealing unleashed before the Tory leadership contest even got underway and left onlookers groping for fictional comparisons.

Setting out his pitch for the leadership, the cabinet minister – best known as a controversial education secretary before becoming one of the faces of the Leave campaign – said: “I want there to be an open and positive debate about the path the country will now take.

“Whatever the verdict of that debate I will respect it. In the next few days, I will lay out my plan for the United Kingdom which I hope can provide unity and change.”

Conservative MP David Davis told BBC Radio 5 Live Mr. Gove’s decision must have been taken “very late”, as Mr. Gove’s assistant had asked him on Wednesday night to attend Mr. Johnson’s campaign launch yesterday.

Justice minister and Leave campaigner, Dominic Raab, who switched his support from Mr. Johnson to Mr. Gove, told the BBC’s Daily Politics that “Boris was cavalier with assurances he made” and had failed to put together a “strong unifying team”.