UK to get woman Prime Minister for the second time after Conservative leadership battle narrowed down to Theresa May and Andrea Leadsom

The UK is to get its first woman prime minister since Margaret Thatcher, after Conservative MPs narrowed its leadership contest down to two candidates: home secretary Theresa May and energy and climate change minister Andrea Leadsom.

The choice will now be put to around 150,000 Conservative Party members, who will choose the next Prime Minister.

David Cameron stood down in the aftermath of the EU referendum vote when Britain voted to leave the European Union.

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Michael Gove, who was one of the leaders of the winning Leave campaign in the EU referendum, was eliminated with only 46 votes. Fellow Leave campaigner Leadsom came second with 84 votes with May the clear favourite on 199 votes among MPs.

In the aftermath of the vote May said: "This vote shows the Conservative party can come together and under my leadership it will."

However, given polls show only 42 per cent of Conservative supporters voted to remain in the EU, the party membership may prove to more sympathetic to the idea of a Brexiter in charge.

Leadsom told Sky News: "My personal view, very genuinely, is the next leader is someone who has to deliver on the promise of the referendum because they can see the huge advantages and they believe in them."

The result is due on 9 September.