Ms May, the Home Secretary who is favourite to take up residence in 10 Downing Street, was backed by 165 of her party’s parliamentary group, half the total number of votes cast. Mrs Leadsom, the energy minister, received 66 votes, and the justice secretary, 48.
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Fox (pictured) was knocked out of the competition because he finished last with only 16 MPs’ votes.
She has also a won the backing of fellow leadership contenders Liam Fox and Stephen Crabb, following their withdrawal from the race.
He said the successful candidate needed to have “experience” to become leader and prime minister, and he said he would announce “in due course” who he would be throwing his weight behind.
“I think it’s an absolutely sterling result for who she is, just into her second year (as a minister)”, Ms Dorries said.
Giving his support to the Home Secretary, Mr Crabb insisted “there is only one candidate” to unite the Tories and form a “cohesive and strong” government.
May was on the losing side of the referendum but is ideologically more in sync with ordinary Conservative Party members, who will pick one of two candidates to lead them.
Andrea Leadsom’s odds of becoming the next Conservative leader – and therefore the next Prime Minister – have shortened even further since Monday, with many bookmakers now pegging her chances at just 2/1. Leadsom is campaigning as a hardliner promising to end the free movement of European Union migrants while criticizing Theresa May for failing to guarantee those already living in Britain.
Mrs May sought further to burnish her leadership credentials calling for MPs to be given a vote on the renewal of Britain’s Trident nuclear deterrent before Parliament breaks for the summer.
Mr Fox – who has previously said the new leader must be a Brexit supporter, given the result of the referendum – announced that he would now be backing, and campaigning for, Mrs May.
The final round of MP voting will take place on Tuesday, July 12 when the two final candidates will be decided before the wider Conservative members are able to vote before the victor is announced in September.
Mr Clarke gave his views on the “fiasco” to Sir Malcolm, who started the conversation by saying: “I don’t mind who wins as long as Gove comes third”.
The strategic move by Johnson, who has earned considerable sympathy since then, is likely to deal a significant blow to Gove’s campaign, as more MPs are now likely to line up behind Leadsom.
Theresa May was “overwhelmingly in the best position to be the next prime minister”, he said, and threw his support behind her.
“It is essential that they have an understanding of the top levels of government and worldwide affairs”, he said.
Mrs May’s tally nearly guarantees her a place in the final run-off ballot of Conservative members.
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Culture Minister Ed Vaizey told Today the U-turn had “caused Michael some difficulty” but said colleagues would “trust a man who was prepared to make that decision”, claiming his was the campaign “building the momentum”.
