A BREXIT-BACKING Worcestershire MP today throws her support behind Andrea Leadsom - calling her "the right person" for Downing Street.

Karen Lumley, the only county MP to back Leave in the EU referendum, has revealed how she is trying to get the energy minister elected as Tory leader.

Mrs Lumley has close associations with the Leave campaign, being a personal friend and ally of Boris Johnson's as well as Mrs Leadsom.

She told the Worcester News Britain needs a Brexit-backing Prime Minister.

"Our new leader had got to be someone who voted for Brexit in the first place, that's what the country wants," she said.

"Andrea is a good friend of mine, she's solid, she's experienced, she was the youngest director at Barclays Bank, she's the right person for it.

"I knew Worcestershire would vote Leave, it was the right thing to do.

"62 per cent of people in my constituency of Redditch voted for Brexit, I had so many people coming up to me, even Labour supporters saying 'thank goodness you've given us this referendum'."

A collection of Eurosceptic MPs launched a pressure group called 'EU Fresh Start' in 2011, led by Mrs Leadsom with Mrs Lumley as vice-chair.

She said that close experience working alongside her, as well as Mrs Leadsom's efforts for Leave in recent weeks, has convinced her.

"Myself and Andrea were both elected in 2010, we started the group Fresh Start to look at European policies," she said.

"She's definitely the right person to lead the party and I think she can win - someone said to me 'she's never been in the Cabinet' but I had to remind them, neither had David Cameron.

"David Cameron came from nowhere to lead the party."

Mrs Lumley also said she was "massively disappointed" Boris Johnson pulled out of the race.

"Boris is a great friend of mine, I'm massively disappointed about it - I'm not quite sure what happened there but politics is a hard game," she added.

It comes as Tory MPs prepare to vote twice this week, tomorrow and Thursday, on their preferred candidate to be their new leader and ultimately PM.

The five candidates will be whittled down to three by Thursday, before two final hopefuls get voted on by 130,000 party members nationwide.

Home Secretary Theresa May, who kept a low profile during the referendum campaign but supported Remain, is almost certain to be in the final two.

it comes after Mrs Leadsom, 53, faced some criticism after it emerged she delivered a speech three years ago appearing to support Britain's EU membership.

The Mail on Sunday obtained a recording of a Hansard Society Annual Parliamentary Affairs Lecture in which she said a Brexit would be a "disaster" for the UK.

She says her words were taken out of context, and that the bloc's claims of being able to reform have failed.

Mrs Leadsom wants Britain to get out of the EU as early as next spring, saying: "We need to get on with it."

....BUT I'M BACKING MAY, SAYS NIGEL HUDDLESTON

MID-WORCESTERSHIRE MP Nigel Huddleston has come out in support of Theresa May for new Tory leader - the fourth county MP to do so.

With the Home Secretary the odds-on favourite, Mr Huddleston said he felt the Home Secretary is the most capable of steering Britain through “very uncertain times”.

He said: “We’re not just looking for a party leader, but a Prime Minister in very uncertain times.

“Theresa May has the most suitable experience, temperament and skills to take on the awesome responsibility.

“She also has a clear and positive vision for the future of our country.

"I have consulted widely in my constituency and discussed the candidates with many members of my local Conservative Association over the last few days.

“From the conversations I’ve had Theresa May is the preferred candidate of both the local electorate and Conservative members and supporters – including many who had supported Brexit.”

Last week fellow county MPs Robin Walker, Harriett Baldwin and Mark Garnier did the same thing.