Andrea Leadsom quits: Junior minister who challenged for Tory leadership and became high-profile Brexiteer

From junior minister to Tory leadership candidate to "Pizza Club plotter", Andrea Leadsom's recent political career has been defined by the fall-out from the 2016 EU referendum.

Her resignation as Leader of the House of Commons strikes a blow to Theresa May's hopes of being the Prime Minister to finally secure Brexit.

In a letter written to Mrs May, Mrs Leadsom said she did not believe that the UK will be "truly sovereign" through the deal proposed, and said a second referendum would be "dangerously divisive".

Three years ago, Mrs Leadsom's surprise withdrawal from the 2016 Tory leadership contest helped Mrs May replace David Cameron in Downing Street.

Brexiteer Mrs Leadsom, MP for South Northamptonshire, had only two years' government experience as a Treasury and energy minister before the referendum campaign.

Helping lead the Leave vote charge, she enjoyed a rapid rise to prominence which eventually saw her take part in a televised debate alongside Boris Johnson and other politicians at London's Wembley Arena.

In the Tory leadership run-off after the referendum result, it was Mrs Leadsom who was left as the only candidate facing Mrs May after her Leave allies Michael Gove and Mr Johnson were knocked out of the running for the top job.

But her bid to lead the party was short-lived once her campaign swiftly unravelled over questions about her lack of experience and comments she had made about motherhood.

Mrs Leadsom was forced to release her CV and deny she had "massaged" her employment history to make it look like she held more senior roles during her 25-year career in the City.

In an interview with the Times newspaper, she appeared to suggest that being a mother gave her an advantage over Mrs May as a potential prime minister.

She said: "Genuinely I feel that being a mum means you have a very real stake in the future of our country, a tangible stake."

Mrs May had previously spoken about how she and her husband Philip were unable to have children and, following criticism from fellow MPs, Mrs Leadsom apologised.

She withdrew from the leadership race just days after winning the backing of 84 Tory MPs.

The failed leadership campaign also featured a bizarre march on Parliament by her supporters, that was ridiculed by political observers.

But under Mrs May's premiership Mrs Leadsom remained in Government, serving as Environment Secretary for a year before becoming Leader of the Commons.

In the latter role she was responsible for organising Government business in the House, but ultimately decided she could not work to support Mrs May's Withdrawal Agreement Bill.

Mrs Leadsom was reportedly one of a number of Brexit-supporting colleagues in the so-called Pizza Club who were absent for the start of Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday.

Members of the group, which is said to include Environment Secretary Michael Gove and International Trade Secretary Liam Fox, were believed to have reservations over the details of Mrs May's Withdrawal Agreement Bill.

Mrs Leadsom, whose interests are listed on the Parliament website as European reform, economy and early years development, worked in the banking and finance industry for 25 years before becoming an MP.

Until 2009, she spent 10 years working as part-time head of corporate governance and senior investment officer at Invesco Perpetual.

After contesting the Knowsley South seat in 2005, Mrs Leadsom ousted Labour in South Northamptonshire in 2010 with a majority of just over 6,000. She was re-elected in 2015 and 2017.

She was educated at Tonbridge Girls Grammar School in Kent, and read political science at Warwick University.

Mrs Leadsom has been married to husband Ben since 1993 and they have three children.