WEST Worcestershire MP Harriett Baldwin has spoken of her delight after Theresa May won the Conservative Leadership race to become the country’s new Prime Minister.
Mrs May will officially be appointed Prime Minister later today (Wednesday) after her main and final rival Andrea Leadsom sensationally pulled out of contention earlier this week.
But critics from other parliamentary parties have said there will be ‘uproar’ to come if she does not call a General Election.
The Home Secretary will make history in the coming hours by becoming only the second female Prime Minister to rule the country – following in the footsteps of Margaret Thatcher who held the reins between 1979 and 1990.
On another dramatic day in British Politics, May was confirmed as the winning candidate of the leadership battle on Monday – two months before a final decision was set to be made.
Outgoing Prime Minister David Cameron initally said he would resign in September when it was expected the leadership contest would conclude but after May’s main rival Mrs Leadsom removed herself from the running, he told the nation he would step down today.
A Conservative leadership contest was held following Mr Cameron’s resignation as Prime Minister in the wake of the EU Referendum result.
Mrs Baldwin backed Mrs May’s campaign to be the next leader saying she was the best candidate to go head-to-head with EU chiefs in upcoming negotiations.
She said: “I am delighted that our country will have another female Prime Minister. Theresa has been a strong and successful Home Secretary and much the strongest candidate to put her name forward to be our next Prime Minister.
“I have supported her campaign from the beginning and think she will do an excellent job negotiating Brexit as well as continuing to deliver the Conservative party manifesto on which I stood for election last year.”
But Daniel Walton chairman of West Worcestershire Labour Party said it would be in the country’s best interest for Mrs May’s new government to call a General Election as soon as possible.
He told the Observer: “We do need a general election. When you look at the number of people who have chosen to be Prime Minister it is quite scary, especially when you talk about democracy.
“It’s the country who must decide wo they want to be Prime Minister not just down to Conservative MPs. I think it will be better to have the election as soon as possible so then we can decide who the Prime Minister is going to be before we enter negotiations such as our exit from the EU.
“If she stands as Prime Minister without calling an election there will be uproar in the country because it is not from a democratic process.”
