Theresa May is poised to join an exclusive club as a woman prime minister of Britain _ one that to date has included only Margaret Thatcher. And with the country facing its greatest political and economic upheaval in decades, she'll likely need to be an "Iron Lady" in her own right.
May, Britain's home secretary, became the country's prime minister-in-waiting Monday when her principal rival dropped out of the race for leadership of the governing Conservative party. Prime Minister David Cameron, who had already announced his plans to resign, said he would step down Wednesday.
The latest political casualty of the ongoing tumult after "Brexit" _ last month's vote to leave the European Union _ was the lesser-known Andrea Leadsom, Britain's energy minister. She said Monday she lacked the necessary support to continue her leadership bid.
Leadsom had caused an uproar over the weekend with remarks suggesting that those who were not parents did not have a true stake in Britain's future. By taking herself out of the race to head the party, she effectively conceded the prime minister position to May.
The ascension of May, who supported staying in the 28-nation EU, had drawn complaints from critics who say the next prime minister should be someone from the referendum's winning camp. But May's support for the "Remain" campaign had been muted, and she has pledged to implement what is expected to be a drawn-out and messy divorce from continental Europe.
May, 59, who has a reputation for calm and steadiness, repeated that promise Monday, declaring: "Brexit means Brexit, and we're going to make a success of it." The formal process of splitting off from the EU is not automatic, and will need to be triggered by the incoming prime minister.
Leadsom, who had campaigned vigorously in favor of leaving the EU, had been vaulted to political prominence by word last week that she and May would contest the Conservative leadership. With one of the two to be anointed as prime minister, that had set the stage for Britain to have its first woman as prime minister since Thatcher, who held the position from 1979 to 1990.
But Leadsom quickly stumbled, drawing fire for her perceived lack of fitness to preside over far-reaching and potentially ruinous financial repercussions of the vote to leave the EU. That was coupled with the contretemps over her remarks suggesting that motherhood made her the stronger candidate, in contrast with May, who is childless.
May has made public reference in the past to her sorrow over the fact that she was unable to bear children. But Leadsom's comments _ for which she apologized to May _ set off a firestorm, with online commentators flaying her for insensitivity and retrograde views.
Leadsom, in a brief appearance, cast her decision to withdraw as ensuring that the EU departure could be set in motion more rapidly. She said she wished May success in that endeavor.
