Stephen Crabb has dropped out of the Conservative leadership race and endorsed Theresa May’s bid. Crabb, who has served as Secretary of State for Welfare and Pensions since March 2016, when Iain Duncan Smith quit the post, secured the backing of 34 MPs in the first ballot of MPs, well ahead of Liam Fox but with a significant gap between Crabb and Michael Gove, who secured 48 MPs.
In a further boost for May, Fox has also endorsed her bid at the top job.
Although Crabb’s supporters are likely to be politically closest to May, it may be that May’s camp chooses to direct some of their supporters towards Gove in order to see off Andrea Leadsom, who is seen as the stronger opponent in Westminster.
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