British Conservative legislator Stephen Crabb pulled out of the race to be the next Prime Minister on Tuesday and endorsed front-runner Theresa May as the list of candidates was reduced to three.
Mr Crabb, 43, withdrew after he came fourth out of five in the first round of voting, securing support from just 34 out of 330 Conservative legislators.
Interior minister Theresa May secured 165 votes, ahead of Andrea Leadsom and Michael Gove. Liam Fox, who finished last, was eliminated from the contest earlier in the evening.
“I’ll be lending my wholehearted support to Theresa May,” Mr Crabb said, describing her as the only candidate who could unite the party and lead a strong and cohesive government.
Ms Theresa May opened up a strong lead on Tuesday in what is now a three-horse race to become Britain’s next Prime Minister, but the first stage of voting was overshadowed by post-Brexit carnage for property investors and the pound.
In symptoms of market concern about the economic impact of leaving the European Union, sterling hit new 31-year lows and three funds investing in British property said they were suspending trading because too many people were rushing to withdraw their money at once.
Ms May won 165 votes in a first ballot of Conservative members of parliament and Andrea Leadsom, a junior energy minister, won 66, increasing the likelihood that Britain will get only its second woman Prime Minister after Margaret Thatcher. Justice secretary Michael Gove was third on 48.
Former defence minister Liam Fox won the fewest votes, 16, and was eliminated from the battle to replace David Cameron, who has said he will step down after Britons voted in a June 23 referendum to break away from the EU.
