Leadsom supporters believe she in particular stands a better chance the more time she has in front on Conservative party members who will determine the victor.
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Leadsom got a boost on Thursday when she was backed by former Conservative leader Michael Howard, and as someone who backed the “Leave” campaign she may find support from the wider membership who want Brexit to be delivered quickly.
There are now just three candidates vying for the Tory leadership after Liam Fox was eliminated in the first round of voting and Stephen Crabb withdrew from the race after finishing fourth.
Grassroots Conservatives across the country will now vote to decide whether May or Leadsom becomes Britain’s first woman prime minister since Margaret Thatcher was forced from office in 1990.
As a supporter of the Remain vote in last month’s European Union referendum, the Home Secretary is vulnerable to claims by Eurosceptic rivals that the largely Brexit-backing membership requires a leader who actively campaigned to Leave.
The Justice Secretary’s campaign manager Nick Boles was forced into a humiliating apology after being caught urging pro-May MPs to vote tactically to ensure Mr Gove made the final two. “There’s the cross party Christians in parliament group and there are various Bible studies groups, which I find incredibly helpful”, Leadsom said in an interview with The Telegraph.
Her five former Invesco colleagues, including four in senior management positions, who said Leadsom did not have a prominent role or manage client money.
“Not only have I seen Andrea in action locally, as a Northamptonshire colleague, but I have also been hugely impressed by her ministerial work to date – as both economic secretary to the treasury, and as minister of state for energy & climate change”. The result of the ballot is due by September 9.
Mr Gove, the Justice Secretary, was pushed back into third place with 46 votes, meaning he is now eliminated from the leadership contest.
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He added: “I don’t think either Andrea Leadsom or Boris Johnson actually are in favour of leaving the European Union”.
“I’ve managed to bring people together across the Conservative Party behind a hopeful and optimistic message of change, and I hope that I’ll be able to take that message to the country”, Gove said.
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She touched upon one of the emerging issues of the leadership contest by pledging to allow all migrants now living in Britain to stay in the country – something the front-runner, May, has resisted doing.
