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Finally, Theresa May Resigns as British Prime Minister, to Step Aside June 7
Theresa May has bowed to intense pressure from her own party and named 7 June as the day she will step aside as Conservative leader, drawing her turbulent three-year premiership to a close.
Speaking in Downing Street, May said it had been “the honour of my life” to serve as Britain’s second female prime minister. Her voice breaking, she said she would leave “with no ill will, but with enormous and enduring gratitude to have had the opportunity to serve the country I love”.
The prime minister listed a series of what she said were her government’s achievements, including tackling the deficit, reducing unemployment and boosting funding for mental health.
But she admitted: “It is and will always remain a matter of deep regret to me that I have not been able to deliver Brexit.”
May’s announcement came after a meeting with Graham Brady, the chair of the backbench Tory 1922 Committee, which was prepared to trigger a second vote of no confidence in her leadership if she refused to resign.
Her fate was sealed after a 10-point “new Brexit deal”, announced in a speech on Tuesday, infuriated Tory backbenchers and many of her own cabinet – while falling flat with the Labour MPs it was meant to persuade.
The leader of the House of Commons, Andrea Leadsom, resigned on Wednesday, rather than present the Brexit bill to parliament.
A string of other cabinet ministers had also expressed concerns, including Sajid Javid, Jeremy Hunt, Chris Grayling and David Mundell.
In particular, they rejected May’s promise to give MPs a vote on a second referendum as the Brexit bill passed through parliament, and implement the result – which they felt came too close to endorsing the idea.
The prime minister will remain in Downing Street, to shoulder the blame for what are expected to be dire results for her party from Thursday’s European elections – and to host Donald Trump when he visits.
The 1922 Committee will set out the terms of a leadership contest, to kick off on 7 June, which is expected to last perhaps six weeks.
Culled from CNN
Errol, father of Elon Musk, has revealed that the billionaire entrepreneur has expressed interest in purchasing Premier League team Liverpool.
Musk, whose net worth is estimated at $418 billion, has recently emerged a close ally of U.S President-elect, Donald Trump.
Reports claim that Musk donated approximately $270 million to the Republican Party before their election victory, aiding Trump’s return to the White House.
Since Trump’s November 2024 win, Musk and Trump have been seen together at various events, including celebrations at Mar-a-Lago in Florida, UFC fights, and college football games.
Now, it appears Musk’s attention may be turning toward English football.
Known as the visionary behind Tesla, SpaceX, and X (formerly Twitter), the 53-year-old billionaire seems poised to expand his business empire further by acquiring one of the world’s most iconic football clubs.
When asked about Musk’s interest in Liverpool during an interview with Times Radio in London, his father, Errol Musk, was cautious.
“Has he expressed a desire to buy Liverpool Football Club?” a reporter asked.
“I can’t comment on that. They’ll raise the price,” Errol Musk replied with a laugh.
Pressed further, he admitted that his son has shown interest but refrained from confirming any formal negotiations.
“Oh, yes. But that doesn’t mean he’s buying it,” Errol added. “He would like to, yes, obviously. Anybody would want to – so would I!”
Family ties to Liverpool
When questioned about Musk’s specific interest in Liverpool FC, Errol Musk pointed to the family’s generational ties to the Merseyside city.
“His grandmother was born in Liverpool, and we had relatives in Liverpool. We were fortunate to know quite a lot of the Beatles because they grew up with some of my family. So, we are attached to Liverpool, you know,” Errol revealed.
Musk had previously spoken fondly of his grandmother, Cora Amelia Robinson, who was born in Mossley Hill, Liverpool, in 1923.
She grew up in pre-war poverty, working hard to support her family before emigrating to South Africa in 1944.
Musk once described her as “an important part” of his childhood and credited her with instilling strong values.
“My Nana was one of the poor working-class girls with no one to protect her who might have been abducted in present-day Britain,” Musk shared on X.
“She was very strict, but also kind, and I could always count on her. She grew up very poor in England during the Great Depression only to be bombed in WW2. To earn money for food, she cleaned houses, leaving me with a lasting respect for those who do so.”
For Vice President Atiku Abubakar has criticized the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, over what he described as inflammatory remarks directed at Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 election.
Atiku described Morka’s comments as a “disturbing emblem” of the current administration’s strategy to stifle opposition voices.
He also expressed concern over the prolonged detention of Mahdi Shehu, a prominent government critic, and others, suggesting these actions indicate a shift toward authoritarian governance.
“The choice of words used by the APC spokesperson, particularly the ominous suggestion that Obi has ‘crossed the line,’ reveals an alarming disdain for democratic principles,” Atiku said.
“Such language, rooted in hostility, has no place in a free society where civil discourse and engagement should reign supreme.”
Atiku emphasized the vital role of opposition leaders in fostering accountability and improving governance, arguing that a true democracy thrives on a healthy exchange of ideas.
He expressed alarm over Morka’s statement that Obi should “be ready for whatever comes his way,” calling on the APC to clarify this “chilling threat.”
The former Vice President also condemned the APC spokesperson’s framing of Obi’s calls for constructive engagement, likening them to a lawless “Wild West” scenario.
Atiku described this language as crude and unbecoming of a ruling party, urging the APC to issue a formal apology to Obi and the Nigerian public.
In addition to the remarks against Obi, Atiku highlighted the case of Mahdi Shehu, who remains in detention without clear justification.
He argued that the Tinubu administration’s actions are eroding fundamental freedoms and setting a dangerous precedent.
“If there is anyone who has truly ‘crossed the line,’ it is the Tinubu administration, whose continuous vilification of opposition figures as mere irritants to be crushed is a dangerous precedent,” Atiku said.
The PDP candidate called on Nigerians and the international community to demand an end to what he described as “the stifling of dissenting voices”, warning that the survival of Nigeria’s democracy depends on the protection of free speech and opposition rights.
Atiku concluded by urging President Tinubu’s administration to recalibrate its approach to dissent, emphasizing the need for dialogue, engagement, and respect for democratic principles.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has slammed the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) over the recent invitation extended to him, to tour both Port Harcourt and Warri refineries.
Obasanjo reacted to the invitation via a statement issued by his media aide, Kehinde Akinyemi, in which he described the invitation as disrespectful to his office and person.
He argued that the oil company had not sent any formal invitation to him as of Thursday, January 2, 2024.
The NNPCL invitation was sequel to the former president’s doubt on the repairs of the refineries. Obasanjo had in a recent interview on Channels television revealed that although the NNPCL was aware of its inability to effectively manage the national refineries, it rejected a $750 million offer from Aliko Dangote to manage the Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna refineries in 2007, during his administration.
He questioned why NNPC is now working with Dangote, saying,: “Not only will he make it (his refinery) work, he (Dangote) will make it deliver. And whether we announce our own government refineries working or not working, it is like a man who plants 100 heaps of yam and says he planted 200 heaps. After he harvests 100 heaps of yam, he will also harvest 100 heaps of lies.”
Responding to the former president, the corporate communications officer of NNPCL, Olufemi Soneye, said the company recently achieved the complete rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt Refining Company (PhRC) and Warri Refinery, stressing that the exercise was not the typical Turnaround Maintenance (TAM) of the past but a comprehensive overhaul designed to meet world-class standards.
Soneye went ahead to extend an invitation to Obasanjo to have a tour of the refineries.
In return, Obasanjo’s media aide said: “Is that the right way to invite a former president of the country? Who says Baba has even seen the statement or read the news? It is a total disrespect for the office of the former president.
“Ask the NNPCL that as of January 2, have they written to him? Is there any official letter addressed to him, inviting him to the refinery? It is an absolute insult, and the former president cannot dignify such with a response.”
