Andrea Leadsom has claimed the Tory leadership front runner Theresa May should not become Prime Minister because she does not believe in leaving the EU.
The Energy Minister and former banker hit out as research by Sky News suggests she is moving ahead of Michael Gove in the battle to become the anti-EU challenger to the Home Secretary.
Mrs Leadsom's latest high-profile backer is the former party leader Iain Duncan Smith, who says she is the right person to lead the UK through Brexit negotiations with the EU.
In an interview with The Daily Telegraph, Mrs Leadsom - widely credited with performing strongly in EU referendum debates - was asked whether the next Conservative leader "must be a Leave supporter".
She replied: "I certainly think [so] because I've been absolutely closely involved and very passionate about the opportunities from Brexit."
And although she did not refer directly to Mrs May, who backed Remain in the referendum, she added: "I think it's very difficult for somebody who doesn't agree with that, who is reluctantly following the wishes of the people.
"I think it's quite hard for them to really see the opportunities. I genuinely believe that if we want to make a go of it then we need somebody who believes in it."
Mrs Leadsom, who will formally launch her leadership bid on Monday, also said that key Government positions and roles in the Brexit negotiating team will have to go to people who backed the Leave campaign.
"Key negotiating people would certainly need to believe that our future is much better outside of the EU," she said. "Obviously in Government you need highly competent people to do the job.
"But certainly in actually negotiating our future arrangements with the EU, it's got to be someone who really believes we can do it and a team who believes we can do it."
Her tough stance on leaving the EU has won her the support of hardline Eurosceptic MPs including the former Cabinet minister Owen Paterson, chair of the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee Bernard Jenkin and now Mr Duncan Smith.
In a powerful endorsement, Mr Duncan Smith said: "Having known Andrea for some considerable time, I have huge confidence in her strength, her experience, her wide range of capabilities, her calm manner and her ability to achieve objectives even against considerable odds.
"She has warmth, a genuinely human touch and a great sense of humour. And her enormous depth of business experience speaks volumes for her ability to handle pressure."
And on leaving the EU, Mr Duncan Smith said: "Working very closely with Andrea as we both campaigned for the UK to leave the EU, I know that she is just right person to lead our country through the negotiations to create the UK's new relationship with the rest of the world.
"I believe that Andrea's strong family background, business experience, compassion, commitment to social justice and dedication will make her a great Prime Minister for the UK."
Research by Sky News suggests that although Mrs May is way ahead of her leadership rivals with the support of at least 95 MPs, Mrs Leadsom now has around 20, slightly ahead of Mr Gove, with 18.
Stephen Crabb, the Work and Pensions Secretary currently has more than Mrs Leadsom, with 22, but her supporters are predicting a surge in support for her over the next few days.
Liam Fox, the former defence secretary, is struggling with just seven MPs backing him, according to the Sky News research, and looks certain to be the first candidate to drop out after the first ballot on Tuesday.
Asked in her Telegraph interview about Mr Gove’s decision to run as leader, described by allies of Boris Johnson as "an act of betrayal", Mrs Leadsom said: "I got to know Michael and Boris during the campaign and I think both of them were absolutely committed to Leave.
"And I just think it's a real tragedy. I feel really sad about what’s happened. Particularly that Boris isn't standing."
She added: "I'm really sorry about what’s happened. I don't really understand it but I'm really surprised and sorry about it."
Mrs Leadsom did not rule out the possibility of either man taking a job in her Government if she wins the Tory leadership contest.
"It would be important to have key people who were able to be competent and also believe in the project," she said. "But I'm definitely not thinking that far ahead right now."
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