Theresa May said she was the only leadership candidate who can unite the Conservative Party and the country in the wake of the Brexit vote, after receiving the overwhelming support of Tory MPs in her attempt to become the next prime minister.
Mrs May established a firm lead in the first round of voting, winning the support of more than half of the party’s MPs. Former Defence Secretary Liam Fox, who was eliminated from the contest, and Stephen Crabb, who withdrew due to lack of support, also gave her their backing.
The Home Secretary was backed by 165 MPs, guaranteeing a place in the final run-off ballot of Conservative Party members unless she loses supporters over the next few days.
Andrea Leadsom, the energy minister, was second with 66 votes. Eurosceptic Justice Secretary Michael Gove came third with 48 votes.
Mr Crabb, the Work and Pensions Secretary, received support from 34 backbenchers, and Dr Fox, the former defence secretary, from just 16.
Conservative leadership election: Theresa May wins more than half of MPs' votes as Stephen Crabb pulls out and Liam Fox is eliminated
Tough-talking Theresa May is the favourite to succeed David Cameron as Conservative leader after finishing top of the MPs' ballot by a comfortable margin Credit: AP
Danny Boyle
Michael Wilkinson, Political Correspondent
Peter Dominiczak, Political Editor
Steven Swinford
Ben Riley-Smith
Szu Ping Chan
5 July 2016
The Telegraph
Stephen Crabb withdraws from the race and backs Theresa May
Liam Fox is knocked out of leadership race after first-round vote
Theresa May leads pack in contest to decide next Prime Minister
Andrea Leadsom wins more support than Michael Gove
Veteran Tory Ken Clarke caught on camera ridiculing candidates
What do the Tory leadership candidates stand for?
Theresa May said she was the only leadership candidate who can unite the Conservative Party and the country in the wake of the Brexit vote, after receiving the overwhelming support of Tory MPs in her attempt to become the next prime minister.
Theresa May leaves No10 Credit: WILL OLIVER
Mrs May established a firm lead in the first round of voting, winning the support of more than half of the party’s MPs. Former Defence Secretary Liam Fox, who was eliminated from the contest, and Stephen Crabb, who withdrew due to lack of support, also gave her their backing.
The Home Secretary was backed by 165 MPs, guaranteeing a place in the final run-off ballot of Conservative Party members unless she loses supporters over the next few days.
Andrea Leadsom, the energy minister, was second with 66 votes. Eurosceptic Justice Secretary Michael Gove, came third with 48 votes.
Mr Crabb, the Work and Pensions Secretary, received support from 34 backbenchers, and Dr Fox, the former defence secretary, from just 16.
Andrea Leadsom finished second in the first round of voting
Mrs May said: “I am pleased with this result, and very grateful to my colleagues for their support. There is a big job before us: to unite our party and the country, to negotiate the best possible deal as we leave the EU, and to make Britain work for everyone.
“I am the only candidate capable of delivering these three things as prime minister, and tonight it is clear that I am also the only one capable of drawing support from the whole of the Conservative Party.”
Her margin of victory will bolster calls for the other candidates to withdraw and allow her to become leader immediately, to provide stability following the vote to leave the European Union.
Work and Pensions Minister Stephen Crabb has withdrawn from the contest due to lack of support Credit: Chris J Ratcliffe
Mark Carney, meanwhile, said that Britain is “strong” enough to cope with the impact of the Brexit vote and promised to help businesses “seize new opportunities”. The Governor of the Bank of England sought to reassure households and companies that banks and building societies were open for business and that credit channels would not dry up.
With Mrs May in such a commanding lead, attention will turn to the contest between Mrs Leadsom and Mr Gove for second place. Both have insisted they will fight on.
Mrs May’s allies focused attacks on Mrs Leadsom. Amber Rudd, the Energy Secretary, said her colleague Mrs Leadsom was “a very good junior energy minister” but “you don’t need a novice right now”.
Mrs Leadsom’s supporters said they were delighted by the result and that she is now the favourite to make the final two. They fear Mrs May could “lend” votes to the Gove campaign in an attempt to determine who faces her in the run-off. They believe she would prefer a head-to-head with Mr Gove because of his perceived unpopularity among party members after his “betrayal” of Boris Johnson.
Senior supporters of Mr Gove admitted that Mr Johnson’s support for Andrea Leadsom had significantly dented the Justice Secretary’s chances of making the final two.
David Cameron was the only one of the 330 Tory MPs not to vote and sources last night said that he would remain neutral.
Former defence secretary Liam Fox, pictured earlier on Tuesday, was eliminated from the leadership contest after winning the support of just 16 MPs Credit: Dan Kitwood/Getty
Dr Fox said that he was “disappointed” to have been eliminated, adding, pointedly, that he had “sought to stress the need for experience as the successful candidate will have to take up the reins of government in less than nine weeks”.
This was taken as a signal that he will not back Mrs Leadsom. Senior Tories believe he now intends to back Mrs May.
Mr Gove’s backers insisted he is “still in the fight”.
Nicky Morgan, the Education Secretary, suggested that Mr Crabb’s support will go to Mr Gove, as they have similar views on social reform. But she admitted that Mr Johnson’s backing of Mrs Leadsom – after his own bid was torpedoed by the Justice Secretary – had been “difficult”.
George Osborne, the Chancellor, has yet to announce who he is supporting. Senior Tory sources expect him to back Mrs May. A series of old blog posts written by Mrs Leadsom emerged yesterday, in which she said she did not want Muslim teachers to wear veils and expressed discomfort about gay adoption.
A former colleague of hers in the banking industry also suggested that she had exaggerated her seniority in the sector, a claim which was vehemently denied by her spokesman.
Mrs May published details of her tax returns over the last four years on Tuesday night, putting pressure on Mrs Leadsom to do the same.
A statement from her bank, Coutts, revealed that last year she earned £118,462, including £5,000 in share dividends, and paid £40,000 income tax.
The leader will be chosen from these two in a ballot of around 150,000 Conservative Party members, which is due to end on Saturday, September 9.
Conservative leadership election: Theresa May wins more than half of MPs' votes as Stephen Crabb pulls out and Liam Fox is eliminated
Mrs May established a firm lead in the first round of voting, winning the support of more than half of the party’s MPs. Former Defence Secretary Liam Fox, who was eliminated from the contest, and Stephen Crabb, who withdrew due to lack of support, also gave her their backing.
The Home Secretary was backed by 165 MPs, guaranteeing a place in the final run-off ballot of Conservative Party members unless she loses supporters over the next few days.
Andrea Leadsom, the energy minister, was second with 66 votes. Eurosceptic Justice Secretary Michael Gove came third with 48 votes.
Mr Crabb, the Work and Pensions Secretary, received support from 34 backbenchers, and Dr Fox, the former defence secretary, from just 16.
Conservative leadership election: Theresa May wins more than half of MPs' votes as Stephen Crabb pulls out and Liam Fox is eliminated
Tough-talking Theresa May is the favourite to succeed David Cameron as Conservative leader after finishing top of the MPs' ballot by a comfortable margin Credit: AP
Danny Boyle
Michael Wilkinson, Political Correspondent
Peter Dominiczak, Political Editor
Steven Swinford
Ben Riley-Smith
Szu Ping Chan
5 July 2016
The Telegraph
Stephen Crabb withdraws from the race and backs Theresa May
Liam Fox is knocked out of leadership race after first-round vote
Theresa May leads pack in contest to decide next Prime Minister
Andrea Leadsom wins more support than Michael Gove
Veteran Tory Ken Clarke caught on camera ridiculing candidates
What do the Tory leadership candidates stand for?
Theresa May said she was the only leadership candidate who can unite the Conservative Party and the country in the wake of the Brexit vote, after receiving the overwhelming support of Tory MPs in her attempt to become the next prime minister.
Theresa May leaves No10 Credit: WILL OLIVER
Mrs May established a firm lead in the first round of voting, winning the support of more than half of the party’s MPs. Former Defence Secretary Liam Fox, who was eliminated from the contest, and Stephen Crabb, who withdrew due to lack of support, also gave her their backing.
The Home Secretary was backed by 165 MPs, guaranteeing a place in the final run-off ballot of Conservative Party members unless she loses supporters over the next few days.
Andrea Leadsom, the energy minister, was second with 66 votes. Eurosceptic Justice Secretary Michael Gove, came third with 48 votes.
Mr Crabb, the Work and Pensions Secretary, received support from 34 backbenchers, and Dr Fox, the former defence secretary, from just 16.
Andrea Leadsom finished second in the first round of voting
Mrs May said: “I am pleased with this result, and very grateful to my colleagues for their support. There is a big job before us: to unite our party and the country, to negotiate the best possible deal as we leave the EU, and to make Britain work for everyone.
“I am the only candidate capable of delivering these three things as prime minister, and tonight it is clear that I am also the only one capable of drawing support from the whole of the Conservative Party.”
Her margin of victory will bolster calls for the other candidates to withdraw and allow her to become leader immediately, to provide stability following the vote to leave the European Union.
Work and Pensions Minister Stephen Crabb has withdrawn from the contest due to lack of support Credit: Chris J Ratcliffe
Mark Carney, meanwhile, said that Britain is “strong” enough to cope with the impact of the Brexit vote and promised to help businesses “seize new opportunities”. The Governor of the Bank of England sought to reassure households and companies that banks and building societies were open for business and that credit channels would not dry up.
With Mrs May in such a commanding lead, attention will turn to the contest between Mrs Leadsom and Mr Gove for second place. Both have insisted they will fight on.
Mrs May’s allies focused attacks on Mrs Leadsom. Amber Rudd, the Energy Secretary, said her colleague Mrs Leadsom was “a very good junior energy minister” but “you don’t need a novice right now”.
Mrs Leadsom’s supporters said they were delighted by the result and that she is now the favourite to make the final two. They fear Mrs May could “lend” votes to the Gove campaign in an attempt to determine who faces her in the run-off. They believe she would prefer a head-to-head with Mr Gove because of his perceived unpopularity among party members after his “betrayal” of Boris Johnson.
Senior supporters of Mr Gove admitted that Mr Johnson’s support for Andrea Leadsom had significantly dented the Justice Secretary’s chances of making the final two.
David Cameron was the only one of the 330 Tory MPs not to vote and sources last night said that he would remain neutral.
Former defence secretary Liam Fox, pictured earlier on Tuesday, was eliminated from the leadership contest after winning the support of just 16 MPs Credit: Dan Kitwood/Getty
Dr Fox said that he was “disappointed” to have been eliminated, adding, pointedly, that he had “sought to stress the need for experience as the successful candidate will have to take up the reins of government in less than nine weeks”.
This was taken as a signal that he will not back Mrs Leadsom. Senior Tories believe he now intends to back Mrs May.
Mr Gove’s backers insisted he is “still in the fight”.
Nicky Morgan, the Education Secretary, suggested that Mr Crabb’s support will go to Mr Gove, as they have similar views on social reform. But she admitted that Mr Johnson’s backing of Mrs Leadsom – after his own bid was torpedoed by the Justice Secretary – had been “difficult”.
George Osborne, the Chancellor, has yet to announce who he is supporting. Senior Tory sources expect him to back Mrs May. A series of old blog posts written by Mrs Leadsom emerged yesterday, in which she said she did not want Muslim teachers to wear veils and expressed discomfort about gay adoption.
A former colleague of hers in the banking industry also suggested that she had exaggerated her seniority in the sector, a claim which was vehemently denied by her spokesman.
Mrs May published details of her tax returns over the last four years on Tuesday night, putting pressure on Mrs Leadsom to do the same.
A statement from her bank, Coutts, revealed that last year she earned £118,462, including £5,000 in share dividends, and paid £40,000 income tax.
The leader will be chosen from these two in a ballot of around 150,000 Conservative Party members, which is due to end on Saturday, September 9.
Conservative leadership election: Theresa May wins more than half of MPs' votes as Stephen Crabb pulls out and Liam Fox is eliminated
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