Politics

Who is Andrea Leadsom, ex-Commons Leader who quit over May's Brexit deal?


Brexiteer Andrea Leadsom has resigned amid a mounting coup against Theresa May , who will meet 1922 Committee chairman Sir Graham Brady on Friday to discuss her future

In her letter of resignation, she wrote: “I do now urge you to make the right decisions in the interests of the country, this Government and our Party. “

And she said she “fundamentally opposes” parts of the PM’s new Brexit plan.

The leading Brexiteer stood down adding to growing pressure on the Prime Minister to follow suit.

Mrs Leadsom, who would have been in charge of taking Mrs May’s Brexit bill through Parliament, said there had been a “complete breakdown” of the Cabinet.

Mrs Leadsom’s resignation letter

 

But who is Mrs Leadsom?

Andrea  Leadsom is a long-standing rival of Theresa May – having stood against her in the 2016 leadership race to replace David Cameron.

But the ex-banker and mother of three crashed out of the race after she claimed that having children meant she had “a very real stake” in Britain’s future – which was seen as a dig at childless Mrs May.Mrs Leadsom was elected as an MP for South Northamptonshire in 2010.

After rising through the ranks of the right-wing of the Conservative party, Mrs Leadsom was Minister of State for Energy when David Cameron resigned as Prime Minister following the Brexit vote.

The 56-year-old won the backing of 84 MPs and reached the final stage of the leadership ballot before she withdrew.

In bizarre scenes, supporters of Mrs Leadsom’s organised a march on Parliament to back her leadership bid.

Mrs May brought her ex-rival into her Cabinet as Environment Secretary, but following the Conservatives disastrous decision to call a snap general election in 2017 she was made Leader of the House of Commons.

Theresa May and Andrea Leadsom in happier times

 

Since then, despite her credentials as an arch Brexiteer, Mrs Leadsom has been a publicly loyal member of Mrs May’s cabinet.

But cracks began to show in the last year after reports began to circulate of a ‘Pizza Club’ of Leave supporting Cabinet members who would meet to strategise ahead of meetings.

They would order takeaway pizza and strategise on how to harden the government’s Brexit position.

One of their meeting spots was Mrs Leadsom’s House of Commons office.

During her time in government, Mrs Leadsom played a role in the #MeToo moment as it washed over Westminster.

Sir Michael Fallon was forced to quit his job as Defence Secretary after he is said to have made sexual comments towards Mrs Leadsom.

 

He allegedly told her, after she complained of having cold hands, “I know where you can put them to warm them up”.

Sir Michael was reported to No10 by the Commons Leader, who accused him of a string of offensive remarks.

After delivering a dossier to Downing Street, Mrs Leadsom insisted he must go.

Sir Michael denied the comments but quit soon after.

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