THERESA May promised to give British people "more control over their lives" after a day of political drama saw her coronation as David Cameron's successor as Prime Minister.

The Home Secretary will take office as Britain's second female premier tomorrow.

She was unexpectedly transformed from leadership candidate to Prime Minister-designate by the sensational decision of her only rival, Andrea Leadsom, to pull out of the race to succeed Mr Cameron, which had been due to last until September 9.

Conservative MPs across Hampshire have welcomed the result, telling the Daily Echo that Mrs May will be a “formidable” successor to Mr Cameron.

May supporter Steve Brine, MP for Winchester and Chandler's Ford, said: "I backed Theresa because I think it's her time and it's the right time for her. These is a challenging period for our country and her experience at the very top of Government is going to be invaluable in the years ahead. She had my full support as did David Cameron."

Fareham MP Suella Fernandes, who previously backed Michael Gove, added: “I am very pleased that Theresa May will be our new Prime Minister, and she has my full support. It is now the duty of the Conservative Party to unite behind her and give the country the leadership it needs as we negotiate our departure from the EU.”

Southampton Itchen MP Royston Smith said: “She is going to make a fine Prime Minister, she is a fantastically safe pair of hands she has the experience, knows her own mind and she will be a worthy successor. Once it got down to the last two I was a May supporter and I’m very pleased with this result I think the fact that she was a Remain supporter actually makes her the right person to handle what comes next.”

Desmond Swayne, MP for New Forest West and an Andrea Leadsom supporter said that Mrs May would be a “formidable” Prime Minister but he had been looking forward to the competition, he added: “I think it’s best to get on with it now.”

Mims Davies, MP for Eastleigh said: “I’ve made no secret I think Theresa May is the best person to be Prime Minister and to negotiate our leaving the EU.

“I know many people in the party would have liked a leadership contest, but actually getting a new Prime Minister in place has become more urgent as the days have gone on. Leaving the decision until September was not in the country’s best interests.”

Mr Cameron said he was "delighted" that the 59-year-old Home Secretary will replace him in Downing Street.

Speaking outside Number 10, he said: "She is strong, she is competent, she is more than able to provide the leadership that our country is going to need in the years ahead and she will have my full support."

Mrs May also won the backing of Brexit standard-bearers Boris Johnson and Michael Gove, who issued messages of support immediately after Mrs Leadsom's withdrawal, at a time when there was still some confusion in Westminster over whether she would now have to fight a different opponent.

Labour election co-ordinator Jon Trickett said he was putting the whole party on general election footing, on the very day when its own leadership contest was kicked off by a formal challenge to Jeremy Corbyn from Angela Eagle.

Mrs May set her face against a snap election when she launched her campaign for the Tory leadership on June 30, saying: ''There should be no general election until 2020.''

But other parties are likely to remind her of Mr Cameron's demand for an immediate election in 2007, on the grounds that Tony Blair's successor Gordon Brown "doesn't have the mandate (and) wasn't elected as Prime Minister".