THERESA MAY IS the increasingly odds-on favourite to become the next British Prime Minister, after winning the backing of two of her rivals.
May won the support of more than half of Conservative Party MPs in the first round of the leadership contest last night – more than the combined support won by the four other contenders.
She has also a won the backing of fellow leadership contenders Liam Fox and Stephen Crabb, following their withdrawal from the race.
May is seen as the most likely leader to steady the ship, amid ongoing recrimination and uncertainty following Britain’s narrow referendum vote to leave the European Union.
Former investment banker Andrea Leadsom, who is being backed by a large Ukip backer, came second with 66 votes, ahead of Michael Gove (48), whose betrayal of Boris Johnson, the man for whom he had campaigned, has shocked even hardened Tory MPs.
Even though he backed Brexit, Boris was seen as a moderate centre-right figure more interested in keeping access to EU markets in return for some free movement of people.
From an Irish perspective, Theresa May is much more of a centrist than either Leadsom or Gove.
Having quietly backed the Remain campaign, May is much more likely to negotiate a ‘soft’ exit from the European Union. Immigration to the UK, for which she as Home Secretary is responsible, rose to 330,000 last year.
Gove backed the invasion of Iraq two days after 9/11, has attracted fierce criticism for his stance on the Northern peace process, and has previously called for regime change in Saudi Arabia and Zimbabwe.
Christian
Leadsom and Gove, both overtly Christian politicians keen on drastically reducing immigration, now face a dogfight to secure the right to take on May in the final round of the leadership contest.
Leadsom, who has been accused of using tax avoidance vehicles, has come under pressure to publish her tax returns after Gove’s decision to do so.
Following last night’s vote, 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.
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