Theresa May tops Conservative Party leadership ballot

Home secretary Theresa May has emerged as the clear frontrunner to succeed David Cameron as UK prime minister, winning more votes in the first ballot among Conservative MPs than all the other candidates combined.

Ms May won 165 votes, leaving energy minister Andrea Leadsom a distant second with 66 votes. Justice secretary Michael Gove came third with 48 votes, work and pensions secretary Stephen Crabb won 34 votes and former defence secretary Liam Fox came last with just 16 votes.

Mr Fox is eliminated from the next ballot, due on Thursday, as MPs whittle the field down to a shortlist of two candidates who will go before the broader party membership.

Mr Crabb has pulled out of the race and backed Ms May.

Ms May who campaigned to remain in the EU in last month’s referendum, is now almost certain to be one of the names on the shortlist.

“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,” she said after Tuesday evening’s ballot.

With Mr Fox eliminated and Mr Crabb withdrawing the fight for the second place will be fought between two Leave campaigners, Ms Leadsom and Mr Gove. Ms Leadsom’s advantage over Mr Gove is so great that it appears unlikely that he can catch up, so Conservative members will probably choose between two women to become prime minister.

EU citizens

The future of EU citizens now living in Britain has become an issue in the leadership campaign, with most candidates saying the government should guarantee that such migrants will be allowed to remain after Brexit. Ms May has insisted, however, that the issue can only be resolved in the course of Britain's negotiations to withdraw from the EU.

Scotland’s first minister Nicola Sturgeon has condemned the government’s failure to guarantee the status of EU migrants in Britain as “inhumane”.

MPs will debate the issue on Wednesday and Labour’s Andy Burnham said it was unacceptable to allow people now living in Britain to be used as bargaining chips in a future negotiation with the EU.

“These are people who have put down roots here, with children, families, caring responsibilities, who pay taxes and contribute to our economy and society. They deserve much better than being used by the government as bargaining chips,” he said.

As police reported a rise in hate crimes since the referendum, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, said the rhetoric during the campaign had produced an outwelling of poison.

“Through those comments were created cracks in the thin crust of the politeness and tolerance of our society, through which, since the referendum, we have seen an outwelling of poison and hatred that I cannot remember in this country for very many years. It is essential, not only in this House but for the leaders of both sides, and throughout our society, to challenge the attacks, the xenophobia and the racism that seem to have been felt to be acceptable, at least for a while,” he told the House of Lords.

Light relief

There was some light relief on Tuesday when former chancellor Ken Clarke was recorded describing the contest as a "fiasco" and disparaging the candidates.

Speaking to fellow Tory grandee Malcolm Rifkind after an interview with Sky News, Mr Clarke praised Ms May but described her as a “bloody difficult woman”, adding with a laugh “but you and I worked for Margaret Thatcher”. Mr Clarke was more dismissive of Ms Leadsom, suggesting that her support for Brexit was insincere and criticising some of her comments during the campaign. “She’s not one of the mindless, tiny band of lunatics, who think we can have a sort of glorious economic future outside the single market. So long as she understands that she is not to deliver on some of the extremely stupid things that she’s been saying,” he said.