LONDON (Sputnik) – Fox, who was eliminated in the first round with last-place 16 votes earlier in the day, said May would make a "very fine prime minister."
The race to succeed Prime Minister David Cameron whittled down to three candidates after Crabb’s announcement to step down with 34 votes. The work and pensions secretary voiced his "wholehearted support" for May in his withdrawal.
The second round on Thursday is expected to leave two candidates, whose fate would be decided by all 150,000 party members in a vote set to last until early September. May enjoyed 165-vote support from Tory lawmakers, followed by Energy Minister Andrea Leadsom’s 66 votes and Justice Secretary Michael Gove’s 48 votes.
Cameron announced his resignation anticipated this fall after his campaign to keep the United Kingdom a member of the European Union lost 52-48 percent in a June 23 referendum.