Roundup: UKIP seeks new leader as contenders for PM debate status of EU nationals in Britain

The shock resignation of UKIP leader Nigel Farage Monday overshadowed jousting by contenders in the race to be Prime Minister over the status of thousands of Europeans working in Britain.

Farage announced he was quitting as leader of the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP), the party set up with a mission to bring the country out of the European Union(EU).

The controversial leader, with his "job done" message, said what he had set out to do had been achieved with the June 23 referendum resulting in a majority voting to leave.

His parting words were: "I've done my bit, now I want my life back". But he will continue to serve as a UKIP MEP (Member of the European Parliament) in Brussels.

The fallout from Britain's referendum on its EU membership has continued to reverberate since the result was announced, with Conservative Prime Minister announcing almost immediately he was quitting.

Five hopefuls bidding to replace Cameron as leader of the Conservatives and Prime Minister will find out Tuesday which one of them will be excluded from the list.

The 330 Conservative MPs will vote at Westminster, with the candidate scoring the lowest number of votes dropping out of the race. A second ballot will take place Thursday, and if necessary against a week Tuesday until just two names remain. Those two names will then be put forward to a vote among party members across the country.

Home Secretary, and current favorite Theresa May is in the race with Justice Secretary Michael Gove, Work and Pensions Secretary Stephen Crabb, former cabinet secretary Liam Fox and Andrea Leadsom, the energy and climate change minister.

The name of Cameron's successor will not be known until early September after the votes have been counted.

The status of the several hundred thousand citizens from mainland Europe living and working in Britain became the latest football to be kicked around Monday.

Energy and Climate Chance Minister, Andrea Leadsom said she would guarantee the right of EU nationals living and working in Britain to stay after the country's exit from Europe.

Launching her leadership bid Monday, Leadsom, a pro-leave supporter, said the referendum vote to leave the EU was "the biggest political event since the fall of the Berlin Wall".

Leadsom said the British government must guarantee the rights of EU people already in the UK to stay after Brexit. Citizens of other EU countries living in Britain cannot be "bargaining chips" in Brexit forthcoming negotiations, Leadsom said.

"I commit today (Monday) to guaranteeing the rights of our EU friends who have come here to live and work. We must give them certainty there is no way they will be bargaining chips in our negotiations."

Leadsom said if she becomes prime minister she will appoint a Leave supporter to be in charge of day-to-day preparations for Brexit.

But foreign secretary Philip Hammond said in an interview that guaranteeing the right to nationals of EU member countries to remain in Britain without commitments from EU countries about the status of Britons living in their countries risked selling "British ex-patriots out too cheap". Hammond called for a negotiated deal that worked for both Britain and Europe.

Hammond said he thought it most unlikely that EU nationals already living in Britain would be told they could not stay. He has called for informal talks before the government officially triggers its departure process from the EU.

Downing Street responded by saying there would be no immediate change in their status of nationals from EU member nations already in Britain. Negotiations on the issue would be for the next prime minister, said a spokesman at Number 10. Enditem