‘Blue-collar’ Crabb pulls out and backs May to unite party
WORK and Pensions Secretary Stephen Crabb pulled out of the Tory leadership race last night – and urged the party to unite behind Theresa May.
Mr Crabb, backed by Business Secretary Sajid Javid, had run on a ‘blue collar’ ticket emphasising Tory values of aspiration and opportunity.
But, after attracting just 34 votes last night, and with little prospect of picking up support from Brexit-backing rivals Andrea Leadsom and Michael Gove, he announced he was throwing in the towel.
He said: ‘I entered this leadership race with the intention of putting two things at the heart of the debate – unity and opportunity, particularly from disadvantaged communities.
‘I’ve seen the result, and it is important to recognise that there is only one candidate in any kind of position to unite our party and provide the strong cohesive government that is needed at this very serious time. That candidate is Theresa May.’
Mr Crabb said he had met Mrs May after the result was announced, saying: ‘I congratulated Theresa. I asked for nothing, she offered nothing.’
Although he campaigned against Brexit he had tried to map out a route for leaving the EU, including the creation of a £100billion infrastructure fund to boost productivity.
But Mr Crabb had come under fire from some gay rights campaigners for voting against same-sex marriage – a stance he defends on the grounds of his Christianity.
He has also faced a backlash on social media over claims that he supports theories that gay people can be ‘cured’.
Mr Crabb yesterday said the claims had been ‘entirely fabricated’, adding: ‘I’ve never said anything like that. This is a complete falsehood spread by political opponents.’
Critics point to Mr Crabb’s past use of interns funded by the organisation Christian Action Research and Education (CARE), which once sponsored a conference on homosexuality including a session on ‘mentoring the sexually broken’.
Asked about his links to the group, Mr Crabb told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: ‘I don’t know whether it (gay cures) is a view that CARE holds. If it is I don’t agree with it. I find the idea that being gay is something to be cured is repugnant.’
The 2013 vote on gay marriage split the Conservative Party down the middle. Mr Crabb and fellow former leadership candidate Liam Fox voted against the move, while Theresa May and Michael Gove voted in favour. Rival Andrea Leadsom abstained by voting both ways.