Amber Rudd has handed in her resignation to the Prime Minister, and created a vacancy in one of the most powerful positions in British politics.
The Windrush fiasco is still in the spotlight, and Ms May will need someone who can pick up the baton swiftly and restore calm to an increasingly frustrated public.
With the Brexit negotiations ongoing, the prime minister will also be looking for a home secretary who can help with the balance of power between Leave and Remain cabinet members.
Michael Gove
Removed as justice secretary by Theresa May when she became prime minister, his appointment one year later as environment secretary came as a surprise. He has impressed many with his brief, with the fight against single use plastics and microbeads, as well as his support for farmers and fishermen pushing him back into the public conscience after his failed party leadership bid. He has also been making regular appearances on radio and television, defending the prime minister.
He campaigned to leave the EU.
Jeremy Hunt
Mr Hunt has been health secretary since September 2012, and has manoeuvred through difficult periods, including the junior doctors strikes in 2015 as well as what the British Red Cross described a “humanitarian crisis” in winter care in 2017.
However, Mr Hunt is currently under investigation by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards over breaches in conduct related to the purchase of luxury flats. He apologised for what he called an “honest administrative mistake”.
Mr Hunt campaigned to remain a member of the EU, but has since said he has changed his mind, and would vote to leave were there another referendum.
Sajid Javid
In a newspaper interview this weekend, Mr Javid said of the Windrush fiasco: “It could have been me, my mum or my dad.”
The communities secretary is seen as a uniting figure and issued a plea to ethnic minorities to look at the Government’s efforts to “put things right”.
The former Business Secretary is currently the bookies’ favourite.
Mr Javid backed remaining in the EU and would balance the scales with Boris Johnson as Foreign Secretary, who helped lead the Leave campaign.
Karen Bradley
Ms Bradley has just been promoted to Northern Ireland secretary after the resignation of James Brokenshire due to ill health.
The Northern Ireland brief is crucial during the Brexit negotiations and the prime minister may not want to shuffle this position despite Mrs Bradley’s rising stock. Ms Bradley was previously secretary of state for digital, culture, media and sport and campaigned to remain a part of the European Union.
James Brokenshire
Mr Brokenshire was Northern Ireland secretary until January this year, when he stepped down due to ill health. The Old Bexley and Sidcup MP was diagnosed with the early stages of lung cancer, despite never having smoked.
He is back in Parliament and has been vocal about supporting better lung cancer screening services.
Mr Brokenshire was immigration minister between 2014 and 2016 when Theresa May was home secretary. He voted to remain in the European Union.
PA
