She doesn't sound insane in this BBC Profile, and seems to have been in office long enough that people know her.

On her party's future: "(It is) nothing less than the patriotic duty of our party to unite and to govern in the best interests of the whole country. We need a bold, new positive vision for the future of our country - a country that works not for a privileged few but for every one of us." Says people want more than just a "Brexit PM" and has vowed to unify the Leave and Remain factions in the party.

Where she stands on Brexit: Backed Remain campaign but says vote to come out must be respected. "Brexit means Brexit. The campaign was fought, the vote was held, turnout was high and the public gave their verdict. There must be no attempts to remain inside the EU, no attempts to rejoin it through the back door and no second referendum." Mrs May also said there should be no general election before 2020 and no "emergency" Brexit budget - and that she would abandon the target of eliminating Britain's Budget deficit by the end of the decade - a day before the chancellor himself abandoned it.

When she would trigger Article 50: Would not push the button to take Britain out of the EU before the end of 2016, to give Britain time to "finalise" its negotiating stance.

Free movement policy: "It must be a priority to allow British companies to trade with the single market in goods and services but also to regain more control of the numbers of people who are coming here from Europe."

She has said the status of EU nationals living in the UK would form part of the forthcoming Brexit negotiations, refusing to guarantee that they will be allowed to remain, in contrast to her rivals.

She has also suggested migration could rise ahead of the UK's eventual exit from the EU but remains committed to the government's aim of getting net migration below 100,000 a year.

It sounds to me like she's trying to thread a needle with a ship's anchor chain, but she's trying.

I can't imagine that the EU is going to tolerate free-ish trade without free-ish movement of people. Something's got to give there. And I can't imagine that the EU is going to tolerate waiting until next year before beginning the process of throwing the UK out (if they continue to say that they're leaving). How? Dunno. But I'm sure Brussels will find a way to make it painful for Cameron and Farage, and the UK economy.

She's got a sizable lead at the moment.

Home Secretary Theresa May has won the first round of voting in the contest to replace David Cameron as the next Conservative leader and prime minister.

Mrs May, who began the race as the frontrunner, got 165 votes. Minister Andrea Leadsom came second with 66.

Michael Gove got 48 votes and Stephen Crabb 34. Liam Fox is eliminated from the race, coming last with 16 votes.

Party members will choose from the two backed by most Tory MPs, with the winner due to be named on 9 September.

Mrs May and Mr Crabb, the work and pensions secretary, campaigned for the UK to stay in the EU.

Mrs Leadsom, an energy minister, Mr Gove, the justice secretary, and Mr Fox, a former defence secretary, campaigned for Brexit.

The optics of the whole situation is weird:

"I ran to stay in the EU! I lost, but I'm the best person to lead our party going forward! I was on the side that said it would be a disaster to leave the EU, and it's looking to be a disaster, but we have to do it because people who were lied to about the consequences have spoken! I can unify us, even though our factions are diametrically opposed!!"

:-/

Cheers,
Scott.

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/jul/09/andrea-leadsom-tea-party

A controversial rightwing American lobbying group that denies climate change science and promotes gun ownership paid for the Tory prime ministerial hopeful Andrea Leadsom to fly to the United States to attend its conferences.

The American Legislative Exchange Council – Alec – is a neoconservative organisation with close links to members of the Tea Party movement. Championed by supporters of the free market, it has been attacked by critics for exerting a “powerful and undemocratic” influence on US politics.

It is part funded by the billionaire Koch brothers, David and Charles, whose empire spans mining, chemicals and finance. Leadsom’s links to the council will be scrutinised closely by those trying to gauge her political leanings.

In the US the council produces hundreds of putative bills that it seeks to have made into law by US legislators who attend its conferences, where they are treated to generous corporate hospitality at lavish cigar parties.

I'm sure you've got your own reasons over there to not want her to be PM, but ties to the Koch Brothers and ALEC should send up red flags and cause klaxons to sound....

Cheers,
Scott.