BRITAIN is on course to have its second female Prime Minister, as Andrea Leadsom and Theresa May are the last two left in the contest for the Conservative Party’s leadership.

Aberdonian Michael Gove was kicked out of the contest as Tory MPs picked May and Leadsom as their top two in the latest round of voting. It is now up to the nearly 150,000, mostly male, mostly white, mostly middle-aged Conservative party members to pick which of the two they would like to lead the party.

There are about 11,000 Tory party members in Scotland.

May won the backing of 199 MPs, about 60 per cent of the parliamentary party, compared to Leadsom’s 84. Both women added to their tallies after the first round of voting on Tuesday. Gove, however, lost two MPs, securing 46, or just 14 per cent of the party.

There was a rumour that May really wanted to face Gove in the contest rather than Leadsom. The justice secretary would likely be given short shrift by a party faithful still sore at his betrayal of close friend Boris Johnson in the aftermath of the referendum result.

The referendum looms large over the contest. Leadsom, a feverish Brexiteer, may prove popular with the party’s grassroots. May, a quiet Remainer, will argue that she, with her proven track record, is the better person to take charge of the exceptionally complex negotiations to take the UK out of Europe.

Speaking after the result, May made much of her experience: “I am delighted to have won so much support from my colleagues. This vote shows that the Conservative Party can come together – and under my leadership it will. I have said all along that this election needs to be a proper contest. And now it is time for me – and my team – to put my case to the Conservative Party membership.

“That case comes down to three things. Because we need strong, proven leadership to negotiate the best deal for Britain as we leave the European Union, to unite our party and our country, and to make Britain a country that works not for a privileged few but for every one of us.

“Those are the things my colleagues have voted for in overwhelming numbers today, and I am confident they will win the support of our members – and the support of the country as a whole.”

Prominent Leavers rushed to throw their support behind Leadsom. Outgoing Ukip leader Nigel Farage tweeted: “Congratulations to @andrealeadsom. Important the next Prime Minister is a Brexiteer – she has my backing.”

Iain Duncan Smith told Sky News he thought Andrea Leadsom would be best leader of the party, thanks to her “real steel, real determination” and her “velvet glove of compassion”. Leadsom, he said: “Really cares about people.”

Leadsom’s departmental boss, Energy Secretary Amber Rudd, who is backing May, said her junior colleague had a real lack of experience.

She said: “The fact that she hasn’t had experience at the cabinet table, hasn’t had much experience even as a junior minister – let’s face it she’s had just two years – I do think is a problem at this stage.”

Speaking outside Parliament, Gove said he welcomed the fact that the next PM would be a woman before saying he hoped the campaign would be “an opportunity to have a debate about the direction in which the country should go, which will be civilised, inclusive, positive and optimistic”.

The result is expected to be announced on Friday, September 2.