▁path ▁the ▁country ▁will ▁now ▁take . ▁Wh atever ▁the ▁ver dict ▁of ▁that ▁debate ▁I ▁will ▁respect ▁it . ▁In ▁the ▁next ▁few ▁days ▁I ▁will ▁lay ▁out ▁my ▁plan ▁for ▁the ▁United ▁Kingdom ▁which ▁I ▁hope ▁can ▁provide ▁unity ▁and ▁change ." ▁ ▁By ▁ 5 ▁July ▁ 2 0 1 6 , ▁G ove ▁was ▁in ▁third ▁place ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 6 ▁Conserv ative ▁Party ▁leadership ▁election ▁ ▁behind ▁Ther esa ▁May ▁and ▁Andrea ▁Le ads om ; ▁the ▁latter ▁had ▁gained ▁an ▁end ors ement ▁from ▁Bor is ▁Johnson . ▁Some ▁political ▁anal yst s ▁predicted ▁that ▁G ove ▁might ▁quit ▁the ▁race ▁if ▁he ▁was ▁unable ▁to ▁beat ▁Le ads om ▁in ▁the ▁first ▁round ▁of ▁voting . ▁Later ▁that ▁day , ▁it ▁was ▁announced ▁that ▁Ther esa ▁May ▁won ▁the ▁first ▁round ▁of ▁voting , ▁with ▁support ▁from ▁ 1 6 5 ▁MP s , ▁while ▁Andrea ▁Le ads om ▁received ▁ 6 6 ▁votes ▁and ▁G ove ▁tra iled ▁with ▁ 4 8 . ▁ ▁G ove ▁was ▁elimin ated ▁in ▁the ▁second ▁ball ot ▁after ▁receiving ▁ 4 6 ▁votes , ▁compared ▁to ▁ 1 9 9 ▁for ▁Ther esa ▁May ▁ ▁and ▁ 8 4 ▁for ▁Andrea ▁Le ads om . ▁He ▁subsequently ▁told ▁the ▁media ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁" n atur ally ▁disappoint ed " ▁and ▁described ▁his ▁two ▁oppon ents ▁as ▁" form id able ▁polit icians ", ▁wel coming ▁the ▁fact ▁that ▁the ▁next ▁PM ▁would ▁be ▁female