THERESA May is "head and shoulders" above her rivals in the race to become the United Kingdom’s next Prime Minister, according to Wyre Forest MP Mark Garnier.

Mr Garnier threw his support behind the Home Secretary to replace out-going PM David Cameron after she was confirmed on a five-candidate shortlist for the role on Thursday, June 30.

Joining her on the candidacy list is Justice Secretary Michael Gove, Minister Andrea Leadsom, MP Liam Fox and Work and Pensions Secretary Stephen Crabb.

Wyre Forest’s Conservative MP admitted he saw positives in Leadsom’s business background and also praised the bid from Crabb, which would see Sajid Javid as second in command.

Yet Mr Garnier hailed May as a standout candidate who can "get things done", insisting her experience can help to unite a divided country following the vote to leave the European Union.

He said: "Sajid Javid and Stephen Crabb are exactly the type of people who will be in a very good position to lead the crisis once it is averted.

"Between the two of them they would have a great amount to offer the country, but I think Stephen lacks the experience needed to go into these negotiations with the EU.

"Andrea Leadsom is someone I have worked with during the EU Referendum.

"She has a lot of very good qualities and skills, she has a very good business background which can only be useful, but she has come in too late.

"Theresa May wins for many different reasons.

"She has a lot of experience and has been a senior party member since 1997. She is a very strong individual and someone who can lead and get things done.

"She can square up with the likes of Angela Merkel and Francois Hollande and she will not be pushed around. For me she does not win by default, she wins by clear head and shoulders."

Mr Garnier admitted the priority of the next Prime Minister is to heal a divided nation, following a national split in which 51.9 per cent of people voted in favour of the UK to leave the EU.

He added: "Whoever takes on running the country has got a lot of big decisions to make, some of which may be unpopular but are in the nation’s interest.

"We are a very divided nation at the moment but we have got to get the whole picture right.

"The Conservatives have moved on quickly and we are all Brexiters now – the only thing that is unifying us is that we have to face these big issues together.

"It is about healing division and I think Theresa May completely gets it."