PERSHORE’S MP Harriett Baldwin has backed Theresa May to become the next Conservative Party leader and Prime Minister and said she was the right person to go ‘toe-to-toe’ with Angela Merkel.
This morning (Thursday) Mrs May, the longest serving Home Secretary, launched her leadership bid to succeed David Cameron who will be standing down in September after Britain voted to leave the European Union.
The West Worcestershire MP has thrown her support behind Mrs May and claimed the Home Secretary is the best candidate to negotiate the best deal on Britain’s exit from the EU due to her strong track record in the Home Office.
Mrs May will go up against four other candidates vying to become the next Tory leader and Prime Minister, including Justice Secretary Michael Gove, former Defence Secretary Liam Fox, Work and Pensions Secretary Stephen Crabb and Energy Minister Andrea Leadsom.
Mrs Baldwin said: “The time for arguments about Remain and Leave is over.
“It’s time to unite, deliver the Conservative manifesto and implement the negotiations to leave the EU.
“Theresa May is the right person to go toe-to-toe with Angela Merkel and other EU leaders in this important negotiation, because she’s got a strong track record of negotiating and implementing.
“Being Home Secretary is one of the toughest jobs in Government. She’s done it for longer than anyone. She’s carefully supervised our security services and changed rules that have kept us safe at home. She’s brought in reforms to immigration from outside the EU; she’s reformed the Police and delivered more accountability to local people.
“Crime has fallen and she’s succeeded in some tough international negotiations, like sending Abu Qatada back to Jordan.”
In July, Conservative MPs will whittle down the five candidates to two and then Conservative members will have the final say in a postal ballot on who becomes the party’s next leader.
It’s expected the new leader will be announced on September 9.
