David Cameron’s last hours as United Kingdom prime minister

David Cameron formally offered his resignation to the Queen earlier after making a farewell speech outside Downing Street. “No more boxes”, he said.

He wished May well, saying she would provide “strong and stable leadership”, and paid tribute to his wife Samantha and his children.

Speaking about his new party leader, Cheltenham MP Alex Chalk said: “She gets on with the job, coolly and without fuss”.

“As I once said, ‘I was the future once, ‘ ” said the 49-year-old Cameron, who was deemed a political wunderkind when he took office six years ago but whose legacy is now largely defined by what many see as a single disastrous blunder, the Brexit referendum, which Cameron had tried and failed to defeat.

“It’s not been an easy journey and, of course, we’ve not got every decision right, but I believe we leave our country stronger”, he said before the handover of power to May.

And she is the UK’s second female Prime Minister, after Margaret Thatcher. Unlike her predecessor, Cameron, who has still expressed wariness to trigger Article 50, May has publicly stated that the voters’ will needs to be respected that “Brexit means Brexit”.

Often called the “British Merkel” and compared to the German chancellor, she insisted that her government will make a success of Brexit and forge a bold and positive role for Britain at the worldwide stage.

Much attention will now focus on what roles, if any, May hands prominent Brexit campaigners Andrea Leadsom, Boris Johnson, Michael Gove, Chris Grayling and Liam Fox in her new cabinet, amid speculation that one of those five could be given a new post of Brexit minister.

May was officially named Conservative Party leader and successor to Cameron “with immediate effect” Monday, said Graham Brady, chair of the 1922 Committee, a collection of Conservative members of Parliament key to electing the party leader.

A Cabinet Office spokesperson had already confirmed that Larry, who’s reportedly very adept at catching rats and mice, would not be evicted from the prime minister’s residence once Cameron and his family depart. May had served Cameron as Home Secretary throughout his six years in government.

Replying to Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who is facing his own leadership challenge, Cameron poked fun at Labour’s leadership turmoil, noting that the Tories had had “resignation, nomination, competition and coronation” while Labour is still working out the rules for its contest.

He said his government had cut the deficit, overseen economic growth and legalized same-sex marriage.

Like Mr Cameron, Mrs May campaigned to remain in the European Union but has said she will respect the will of the people, as expressed in 23 June’s referendum, saying: “Brexit means Brexit”.

She has said she plans to set up a new government department to lead the process of quitting the European Union which would be headed by someone who had campaigned on the Leave side.

She is under pressure from pro-Brexit Conservatives and other European Union leaders to start formal exit talks with the bloc.

“The UK finally has a new prime minister.Goodbye Mr. Cameron”.