The Conservative party has rejected an appeal by MPs to speed up the leadership contest so Britain does not have to wait until September for a new prime minister. But a party spokesman said on Friday that the timetable had been set out and was “not going to change”. After the second ballot of Tory MPs on Thursday, in which May received 199 votes and Leadsom 84, the two rivals were keeping a low profile. May’s camp said she was not behind the letter, and May herself has said she wants “a proper contest”. Now that Leadsom has made the shortlist she is committed to keeping her promise to publish details of her tax returns.

Source: The Guardian July 08, 2016 12:09 UTC