Tory leadership contest: Stephen Crabb withdraws from race with 34 votes from MPs
Mr Crabb said he will back Home Secretary Theresa May who leads the leadership contest on 165 votes
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Your support makes all the difference.British Work and Pensions Secretary Stephen Crabb has withdrawn from the Conservative Party leadership race after finishing fourth in the first round of voting.
Mr Crabb received just 34 votes from the party's members of Parliament on Tuesday, finishing just ahead of rival Liam Fox who was eliminated from the race after finishing last with only 16 votes.
The MP for Preseli Pembrokeshire has said he will now back the Home Secretary Theresa May, who leads the leadership contest on 165 votes, saying "there is only one candidate" to unite the Tories and form a "cohesive and strong" government.
Energy Minister Andrea Leadsom, who came second with 66 votes and Justice Secretary Michael Gove, third with 48 votes, remain in the running for Conservative leadership.
Speaking to BBC News, Mr Crabb said: "I entered this leadership race with the overriding goal of putting two themes at the heart of the debate - unity for our divided nation and opportunity to tackle disadvantage in particular.
"And I've been overwhelmed by the support I've received from colleagues - those who voted for me today but those who didn't as well, but who made the point to me that they share my one nation vision and they want that one nation vision to be at the heart of the next Conservative government.
"I think tonight we need to recognise that there is only one candidate in a position to unite our party and to form a cohesive and strong government, which our country needs at this time.
"I mean this is a really, really serious moment for this country and so I've taken the decision that I won't put my name forward to the next round of voting but instead of that I'll be lending my wholehearted support to Theresa May, who is overwhelmingly in the best position to be the next prime minister and the leader of the Conservative Party."
Shortly after Dr Fox also backed Mrs May, saying "experience matters".
Further voting will take place on Thursday and the following Tuesday until only two contenders remain. The leader of the party – and Prime Minister – will be chosen from these two in a ballot of about 150,000 Conservative Party members, due to end on 9 September.
Independent declarations of support verified by the Press Association show Ms May, the longest serving Home Secretary in 100 years, has the backing of 130 MPs. She is comfortably ahead of Ms Leadsom, the junior energy minister and Leave campaigner, who has 40.
Additional reporting by Press Association
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