British Conservative Party leader candidates

David Cameron quickly announced he would be stepping down as leader of the Conservative Party and Prime Minister after a bruising EU referendum.

A majority of voters opted for the UK to leave the European Union but it appears those running the leave campaigns were fairly ignorant of how that could and would work and the implications.

David Cameron may have campaigned for the UK to remain in the EU but he misjudged the electorate.

Plenty of people had waited years to be allowed a vote on British membership of the EU and no amount of campaigning could have changed their minds.

But Cameron is Prime Minister and having called the referendum he should surely have worked out a Plan B?

When politicians take the electorate for granted there are often consequences.

Ditching his responsibilities in the aftermath of the EU referendum shows a careless disregard for his Prime Ministerial responsibilities.

He rushed through the EU referendum when he had until 2020 to fulfil Tory election promises.

Will the reason for the rushed referendum become clear later this year?

Was it for the personal or career reasons of David Cameron? There could be many other reasons though.

Wednesday we will find out who is throwing their name into the would be Conservative leader hat.

Those predicted to stand are Boris Johnson, Theresa May, Stephen Crabb, Sajid David and Liam Fox with Jeremy Hunt, Michael Gove and Nicky Morgan possibly in the mix.

Tories have just 24 hours to declare their leadership intentions.

The new leader will be in place by September 9.

At time of writing Boris Johnson is leading the field as far as nominations goes.

He is reportedly being advised by the Tories favourite PR guru Lynton Crosby. Johnson has indicated that if he wins the Tory leadership race he will not hold an early General Election but rather expect the electorate to simply accept a fait accompli.

While the Tory party sort out their own affairs the country is left in limbo.

Cameron will not invoke Article 50 which will trigger the UK's exit from the European Union.

That will be up to his successor and following his logic his successor must surely be a Tory MP who campaigned for BRexit?

David Cameron is determined his political legacy will not be the man who took the UK out the EU but like it or lump it that is what he has done.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-36656752