THERESA May is closing in on the leadership of the Conservative Party after getting the backing of 165 MPs yesterday - including four in Worcestershire.

The Home Secretary won the first ballot by a landslide with energy minister Andrea Leadsom coming second, making the pair favourites to make an all-female final shortlist of two for the party membership.

Worcester MP Robin Walker, West Worcestershire MP Harriett Baldwin, Wyre Forest MP Mark Garnier and Mid-Worcestershire MP Nigel Huddleston all backed Mrs May.

Another round of voting among Tory MP is taking place tomorrow, with just three candidates left after Liam Fox was eliminated and Work and Pensions Secretary Stephen Crabb pulled out.

Some county MPs said they were sorry to see Mr Crabb, who had Bromsgrove MP Sajid Javid back him up, quit the contest.

Mr Huddleston said: “Stephen Crab won a lot of new friends and a lot of respect in the leadership campaign, and proposed some fresh ideas.”

Mr Walker said he had run “a positive campaign with some great ideas for the party and country” but reiterated his backing for Mrs May.

"She is the right person not only for the party but more importantly, for the country too," he said.

The intrigue at Westminster now centres on whether Mrs Leadsom or Michael Gove will grab second place in tomorrow's decisive ballot of MPs.

A new Conservative Party - and Prime Minister - will be unveiled on September 9 after 130,000 grassroots Tory members nationwide vote from two final contenders.

The only Tory MP not to cast a vote yesterday was David Cameron, with Downing Street declaring the Prime Minister "neutral".

Mrs Leadsom got 66 votes yesterday while Mr Gove had 48, Mr Crabb 34 and Mr Fox 16, seeing him eliminated.