“I have no doubt Theresa will make an excellent party leader and prime minister and I’m encouraged that she’s made it clear that Brexit means Brexit – that we will leave the EU”.
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Leadsom angrily accused the Times of taking her comments out of context, but also apologised to May by text.
“I am sure she will be really sad she doesn’t have children so I don’t want this to be “Andrea has children, Theresa hasn’t” because I think that would be really terrible”, Leadsom told the Times newspaper, which has declared its support for May.
The favourite to take over from David Cameron as Britain’s prime minister promised Monday to lead the United Kingdom out of the European Union if elected, rejecting proposals to ignore the EU referendum result.
Graham Brady, the head of the committee running the contest, said after Leadsom’s announcement that the party board would meet to discuss confirming May as the victor.
She said: “The best interests of our country inspired me to stand for the leadership”.
Controlling the number of new arrivals to Britain was a major driver for numerous 52 percent of Britons who backed leaving the European Union but Britain may have to accept EU citizens in return for access to the single market.
Ms Leadsom withdrawing leaves Home Secretary Theresa May as the only remaining candidate, clearing the way for her to be named Prime Minister.
Over the weekend, Leadsom drew criticism after suggesting that she was better equipped to be leader because she had children and May did not.
Mrs May made it clear last week that she and her husband, Philip, had wanted to have children, but had been unable to do so. “I assure her of my full support”, she said.
“Second, we need to unite our Party and our country”.
The Times quoted Leadsom as saying that she has a “very real stake” in the country’s future because of her children while contrasting herself with May.
Andrea Leadsom has dropped out of the Tory leadership contest, paving the way for Theresa May to become the next prime minister.
Labour lawmaker Angela Eagle on Monday launched an attempt to unseat party leader Jeremy Corbyn, a veteran left-winger who has a strong base of support among Labour members but little backing from the party’s 229 lawmakers.
Leadsom has since issued an apology to May, and told The Daily Telegraph she had felt “under attack, under enormous pressure”.
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She appeared to suggest in the interview that, as a mother, she had an advantage in the race over May, who has no children.
