BREXIT campaigner Andrea Leadsom today quit the Tory leadership race to leave Theresa May on the verge of being named Britain's next prime minister.
The energy minister today scheduled a surprise statement at 12.15pm, less than an hour after her rival Theresa May launched her national campaign to be elected Conservative Party leader.
Mrs Leadsom announced she is withdrawing from the contest to become Tory leader and Britain's next prime minister.
She said she had "concluded the interests of our country are best served by the immediate appointment of a strong and well-supported prime minister".
She added she did not believe she had "enough support" from Tory MPs to "lead a strong and stable Government".
Tory MP Graham Brady, the chair of the influential backbench 1922 Committee who run leadership election contests, later confirmed Mrs May is the only remaining candidate.
The shock development will almost certainly install Mrs May as David Cameron's replacement in Number 10.
But Mr Brady did not give any detail on the timing of Mrs May's formal appointment.
Speaking outside Parliament, Mrs May's campaign chair Chris Grayling, Leader of the House of Commons, said Mrs May is "enormously honoured to be sntrusted with this task by so many of her parliamentary colleagues".
The prime minister-in-waiting will make her own statement on her return to London from Birmingham, where she had set out her vision for her premiership less than two hours earlier
The next Tory leader had been expected to be announced in early September.
But today's news could hurry up Mr Cameron's exit from Downing Street and the official confirmation of Britain's second female prime minister.
A source close to Mrs Leadsom told the BBC the "abuse [was] too great" for the former City trader during the leadership campaign.
The stunning news comes after a weekend dominated by a row over Mrs Leadsom's comments in a newspaper interview.
She was accused of suggesting she would make a better prime minister than Mrs May because she had children.
Mrs Leadsom later apologised to Mrs May over the remarks, who this morning revealed she had accepted the apology.
Mrs Leadsom has also faced claims over her CV and demands to publish her tax returns amid questions over her financial affairs.
Mrs Leadsom's withdrawal from the contest means the Conservative Party membership will not be required to vote in order to elect one of the two candidates as the country's next leader
ANDREA LEADSOM'S STATEMENT IN FULL:
The best interests of our country inspired me to stand for the leadership.
I believe that in leaving the EU a bright future awaits where all our people can share in a new prosperity, freedom and democracy.
The referendum result demonstrated a clear desire for change.
Strong leadership is needed urgently to begin the work of withdrawing from the EU.
A nine-week leadership campaign at such a critical moment for our country is highly undesirable.
Business needs certainty.
A strong and unified government must move quickly to set out what an independent UK's framework for business looks like.
It is also essential that current EU workers in the UK and the businesses that employ them know where they stand.
The Conservative Party was elected only last year with a strong manifesto.
We now need a new prime minister in place as soon as possible, committed to fulfilling that manifesto as well as implementing the clear instructions from the referendum.
Theresa May carries over sixty per cent of support in the parliamentary party
She is ideally placed to implement Brexit on the best possible terms for the British people and she has promised that she will do so.
For me personally to have won the support of 84 of my colleagues last Thursday was a great expression of confidence for which I am incredibly grateful.
Nevertheless, this is less than 25 per cent of the parliamentary party and after careful consideration I do not believe this is sufficient support to lead a strong and stable government should I win the leadership election.
There is no greater privilege than to lead the Conservative Party in Government and I would have been deeply honoured to do it.
I have however concluded that the interests of our country are best served by the immediate appointment of a strong and well-supported prime minister.
I am therefore withdrawing from the leadership election and I wish Theresa May the very greatest success, I assure her of my full support.
Mrs Leadsom announced she is withdrawing from the contest to become Tory leader and Britain's next prime minister.
She said she had "concluded the interests of our country are best served by the immediate appointment of a strong and well-supported prime minister".
She added she did not believe she had "enough support" from Tory MPs to "lead a strong and stable Government".
Tory MP Graham Brady, the chair of the influential backbench 1922 Committee who run leadership election contests, later confirmed Mrs May is the only remaining candidate.
The shock development will almost certainly install Mrs May as David Cameron's replacement in Number 10.
But Mr Brady did not give any detail on the timing of Mrs May's formal appointment.
Speaking outside Parliament, Mrs May's campaign chair Chris Grayling, Leader of the House of Commons, said Mrs May is "enormously honoured to be sntrusted with this task by so many of her parliamentary colleagues".
The prime minister-in-waiting will make her own statement on her return to London from Birmingham, where she had set out her vision for her premiership less than two hours earlier
The next Tory leader had been expected to be announced in early September.
But today's news could hurry up Mr Cameron's exit from Downing Street and the official confirmation of Britain's second female prime minister.
A source close to Mrs Leadsom told the BBC the "abuse [was] too great" for the former City trader during the leadership campaign.
The stunning news comes after a weekend dominated by a row over Mrs Leadsom's comments in a newspaper interview.
She was accused of suggesting she would make a better prime minister than Mrs May because she had children.
Mrs Leadsom later apologised to Mrs May over the remarks, who this morning revealed she had accepted the apology.
Mrs Leadsom has also faced claims over her CV and demands to publish her tax returns amid questions over her financial affairs.
Mrs Leadsom's withdrawal from the contest means the Conservative Party membership will not be required to vote in order to elect one of the two candidates as the country's next leader
ANDREA LEADSOM'S STATEMENT IN FULL:
The best interests of our country inspired me to stand for the leadership.
I believe that in leaving the EU a bright future awaits where all our people can share in a new prosperity, freedom and democracy.
The referendum result demonstrated a clear desire for change.
Strong leadership is needed urgently to begin the work of withdrawing from the EU.
A nine-week leadership campaign at such a critical moment for our country is highly undesirable.
Business needs certainty.
A strong and unified government must move quickly to set out what an independent UK's framework for business looks like.
It is also essential that current EU workers in the UK and the businesses that employ them know where they stand.
The Conservative Party was elected only last year with a strong manifesto.
We now need a new prime minister in place as soon as possible, committed to fulfilling that manifesto as well as implementing the clear instructions from the referendum.
Theresa May carries over sixty per cent of support in the parliamentary party
She is ideally placed to implement Brexit on the best possible terms for the British people and she has promised that she will do so.
For me personally to have won the support of 84 of my colleagues last Thursday was a great expression of confidence for which I am incredibly grateful.
Nevertheless, this is less than 25 per cent of the parliamentary party and after careful consideration I do not believe this is sufficient support to lead a strong and stable government should I win the leadership election.
There is no greater privilege than to lead the Conservative Party in Government and I would have been deeply honoured to do it.
I have however concluded that the interests of our country are best served by the immediate appointment of a strong and well-supported prime minister.
I am therefore withdrawing from the leadership election and I wish Theresa May the very greatest success, I assure her of my full support.
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