Andrea Leadsom’s stinging resignation to Theresa May was revenge for defeat in 2016 leadership battle

COMMONS Leader Andrea Leadsom was Theresa May’s rival for the Tory leadership — and her stinging resignation letter was her revenge served three years later.

Mrs Leadsom quit on Wednesday night with a devastating attack on the Prime Minister’s latest Brexit climbdown and her handling of Cabinet tensions.

But it was just the boiling over of the simmering antagonism between the pair.

Mrs Leadsom, a former banker and married mum of three, had been a prominent Leave supporter in the referendum campaign. She stood against Remain-backing Mrs May after David Cameron resigned as PM in 2016.

The women made it to the final two but then Mrs Leadsom gave a disastrous interview in which she appeared to suggest she was a better choice for PM because she had children.

She claimed this meant she had a “stake in the future”, which contrasts with Mrs May who cannot have children for health reasons.

Mrs Leadsom, 56, told a newspaper back then that Mrs May only had “nieces, nephews”, adding: “But I have children who are going to have children who will directly be part of what happens next.”

She withdrew from the contest soon after the controversy and so cleared the path for Mrs May to enter Downing Street.

The new Prime Minister appointed Mrs Leadsom as her Environment Secretary only to demote her to Commons Leader in a reshuffle after the disastrous 2017 general election.

Then last summer it emerged Mrs Leadsom had attacked Mrs May’s doomed Chequers plan — telling colleagues how she “hated” it for breaching Government red lines on Brexit.

Afterwards Mrs Leadsom did not quit the Cabinet but is believed to have been unpopular in No10 for her hardline stance. Last month she made more waves by claiming that No Deal would not be “nearly as grim as many would advocate”.

Mrs Leadsom has also repeatedly clashed with Commons Speaker John Bercow. Last year she confronted him over claims he called her a “stupid woman”.

But, as Commons Leader, Mrs Leadsom has also been central in tackling the “Pestminster” culture of sexual harassment and bullying.

In 2017 Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon was forced to quit after she accused him of making lewd comments to her.

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