Britain is set to get its first woman prime minister since Margaret Thatcher. Junior Energy Minister Andrea Leadsom on Thursday climbed to second position in the Conservative Party’s leadership vote, while Home Secretary Theresa May continues to lead the race, The Guardian reported.
Leadsom was among the leaders who campaigned for the United Kingdom to leave the European Union. With her jump in position, Justice Secretary Michael Gove is now no longer in the race to replace David Cameron, who stepped down from the post of prime minister following the Brexit vote. The results triggered protests by those who voted against it.
In the second round of voting by Conservative MPs, May won 199 votes and Leadsom, 84. Gove’s measly 46 got him knocked out of the race. “This vote shows the Tory party can come together and unite, and under my leadership it will…We need strong, proven leadership to negotiate the best deal for Britain as we leave the European Union,” said the home secretary, who had campaigned for UK to remain in the EU.
UK’s former defence secretary Liam Fox was voted out of the race to lead the ruling Conservative Party on Tuesday. Members of the party from across the country will now choose between the two women, of whom May is pipped to be the favourite. While the winner was supposed to be declared on September 9, there is mounting pressure to reschedule it, taking the repercussions of the Brexit vote into account.
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