British PM candidate, Brexit Minister James Cleverly exits leadership race

Junior Brexit Minister and Conservative lawmaker James Cleverly has withdrawn from the race to replace Prime Minister Theresa May, the BBC reported on Tuesday. Cleverly is the minister who said Britain's departure from the European Union had to be delivered quickly so the country could move on to other issues. "It has become clear that it is highly unlikely that I would progress to the two final candidates," he said in a statement published by Sky News.

"For this reason, I have withdrawn from the process of selecting a new leader and will not be submitting nomination papers." He said it was clear that Conservative lawmakers were not ready to back someone who had only relatively recently become a member of parliament. Cleverly was elected in 2015. 

(With inputs from agencies.)