Theresa May sets for 2nd female PM for Britain

British Home Secretary Theresa May speaks to the media outside The Houses of Parliament in central London, Britain, July 7, 2016. [Photo/IC]

LONDON - Britain is to have its second ever female prime minister after MPs (members of the parliament) Thursday narrowed the Conservative leadership battle to a final two.

Home Secretary Theresa May, responsible for Britain's interior matters, and Energy and Climate Change Minister Andrea Leadsom emerged as the final two contenders after Justice Secretary Michael Gove was eliminated by a vote of MPs at Westminster.

May won votes from 199 Conservative MPs, Leadsom got 84 and Gove, with 46 votes, was eliminated from the leadership contest.

It will now be up to the 150,000 Conservative Party members around the country to decide which of the two should replace David Cameron as leader and Prime Minister.

The winner will be announced on Sept 9, handing the keys of 10 Downing Street to a woman occupant since 1979 when Margaret Thatcher became the country's first ever female prime minister.

The winner of the race to Downing Street will face the major task of negotiating Britain's exit from the European Union after 43 years following the June 23 national referendum which delivered a Brexit victory by a 52 percent-48 percent margin.

One of the first crucial decisions for the new prime minister will be when Britain will trigger article 50, the procedure that will start a two-year clock ticking on the final divorce with the EU. Leadsom says she would push the article 50 button as soon as she becomes prime minister. May says she would not push the button to take Britain out of the EU before the end of 2016, to give time to finalise a negotiating stance.