Theresa May would become the United Kingdom’s second female head of government after her main challenger for the Conservative party’s leadership, Andrea Leadsom, stepped down Monday.
Leadsom, in a statement, said she was withdrawing because a leadership contest that would last over two months was not the best thing for the country at this time, and threw her support behind May for the post.
Mrs May, the UK Home Secretary, has been the frontrunner from the start, and promptly won the first two rounds of voting that had everyone dropping out except Leadsom.
Leadsom, perhaps seeing no path to beating May, promptly withdrew.
“Strong leadership is needed urgently to begin the work of withdrawing from the European Union. A nine-week leadership campaign at such a critical moment is highly undesirable.” She said in her statement.
Theresa May, ironically, had backed ‘Remain’ in the referendum, yet would now be taxed with implementing the process to leave the continental trade body.
The timetable for her taking over from David Cameron is still being discussed and would be public soon. May would become the United Kingdom’s second female Prime Minister, after Margaret Thatcher.