Boris Johnson has thrown his weight behind Andrea Leadsom in the Tory leadership race saying she had "the zap, the drive, and the determination" needed to succeed David Cameron.
The former London mayor - who led the campaign for Britain to leave the EU only to see his own hopes of the leadership dashed following a devastating attack by Michael Gove - praised the Energy Minister as "level-headed, kind and trustworthy".
"Andrea Leadsom offers the zap, the drive, and the determination essential for the next leader of this country," he said in a statement.
READ MORE: MPs backing Theresa May amount to more than all other contenders combined
"She has long championed the needs of the most vulnerable in our society. She has a better understanding of finance than almost anyone else in Parliament. She has considerable experience of government.
"She is level-headed, kind, trustworthy, approachable and the possessor of a good sense of humour.
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"She has specialised in the EU question and successfully campaigned for leave and will be therefore well-placed to help forge a great post-Brexit future for Britain and Europe.
"Above all she possesses the qualities needed to bring together leavers and remainers in the weeks and months ahead. I will be voting for Andrea Leadsom tomorrow."
Leave campaigner Andrea Leadsom has consolidated her second place in the Conservative leadership race with at least 36 MPs backing her bid as the first round of voting takes place today.
Ms Leadsom, who has likened herself to Margaret Thatcher, is behind Home Secretary Theresa May. Mrs May is building an unassailable lead among MPs in her bid for the Conservative crown with at least 115 out of 330 now backing her.
The latter’s support among Westminster colleagues is more than her four rivals put together.
As well as receiving the endorsement of her eighth cabinet colleague, Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond, who hailed her “determination in standing up to vested interests,” she is also picking up the support of a number of prominent former backers of Boris Johnson, including the influential backbencher David Davis.
READ MORE: Brexiteers Andrea Leadsom and Liam Fox step up Tory leadership bids
As the candidates made their pitches to Tory MPs at the 1922 backbench hustings last night, support appeared to be swinging away from Brexiter Michael Gove towards fellow Outer Andrea Leadsom, who launched her campaign yesterday.
There are at least 25 backers for the Justice Secretary. Work and Pensions Secreetary Stephen Crabb has 21 supporters while Liam Fox is yet to reach double figures.
Launching her campaign, Ms Leadsom insisted here was no backtracking from Brexit, the former businesswoman said she knew how to overcome prejudice in a male-dominated world.
Ms Leadsom, 53, said her business career had given her key skills for the role of being a prime minister facing the negotiations over Brexit.
“I know how to strike a deal in a tough negotiation. And I know, as a woman, how to succeed in a man’s world and how to fight the unfortunate prejudice that many working mothers still experience,” she declared.
Ms Leadsom stressed that she had “no allegiance” to Ukip as she said the Brexit negotiating team would come from within the Tory Government.
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