British Secretary of State for Justice and leadership candidate for Britain’s ruling Conservative Party Michael Gove leaves after attending a cabinet meeting at 10 Downing Street, in London, Tuesday, July 5, 2016.
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After David Cameron resigned post-Brexit, the race to be Britain’s next prime minister was well and truly on.
The Conservative Party in Britain on Thursday narrowed down the contenders for the next prime minister to two candidates: Home Affairs Secretary Theresa May and Energy Minister Andrea Leadsom, according to numerous reports.
The victor of the final two will be announced on 9 September.
Britain’s last woman prime minister was another Conservative politician, Margaret Thatcher, who was in office between 1979 and 1990.
“She is now well placed to win and replace the absurd gloom in some quarters with a positive, confident and optimistic approach, not just to Europe, but to government all round”, he said.
Cameron announced his resignation after unsuccessfully campaigning for Britain to vote “remain” in the June 23 referendum that asked voters whether the United Kingdom should stay in the European Union. May supported the “remain” camp but says she has the mettle to unite a party that like the country is divided over the referendum result.
He added that he was pleased Britain would now have a female prime minister.
Mrs Leadsom was a prominent Brexit-backer and hopes that her support for leaving the European Union will win her votes from Eurosceptics in the Tory grassroots.
“We need to get on with it”, she said.
Sketch: Who is Andrea Leadsom?
Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith, who is backing Mrs Leadsom, said she had “steel” but within the “velvet glove of compassion”. Earlier on in the week Dr Liam Fox was also eliminated and Work and Pensions Secretary, Stephen Crabb dropped out after failing to gather enough support in Parliament.
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He said May had the “track record” in matters of security as Home Secretary to take the country forward. “Theresa’s (May) obviously done fantastically well and you know my commiserations to Michael (Gove), but I’m absolutely delighted with the result, thank you”.
