BBC Local Live: Northamptonshire

A cloudy evening and night with showery outbreaks of rain developing later, turning heavy into the early hours. Lows of 14C (57F).

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Cloudy with showery outbreaks of rain at first tomorrow, some heavy.  

Gradually clearing to drier, brighter conditions. Highs of 22C (72F).

BBC Weather has the latest.

Meanwhile, earlier today the MP for South Northamptonshire spoke to ITV News saying she does not support gay marriage law because of "hurt caused to many Christians".

Those comments have not been welcomed by Labour MP David Lammy...

Conservative MP Tim Loughton, who supports Andrea Leadsom (pictured with her), says Theresa May now "has a serious threat on her hands".

Pressed on Mrs Leadsom's lack of experience, Mr Loughton says "she's not just all about politics... she's set up charities delivering life-saving services to vulnerable mums" and had been "the most passionate advocate of the Leave campaign".

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"She's an exceedingly balanced, calm, rational person - she'll have no problem stepping up to that job," he says.

"She's the real deal. She's authentic - she has huge competence and goodness knows we're going to need somebody with competence in the difficult challenges ahead," he says.

"She's done all this... so prime minister? No problem."

Nigel Farage, who stood down this week as UKIP leader, tweets...

We've already had a statement from Theresa May saying she will now take her campaign out to the party membership, but don't expect anything from Andrea Leadsom anytime soon.

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The South Northamptonshire MP is currently on her way back to Northampton where she is hosting a charity event at the Derngate alongside Daventry MP Chris Heaton-Harris and, would you believe it, Boris Johnson.

The event was booked a while ago and Mr Johnson is confirmed to turn up. We'll wait and see if he says anything publicly about Mrs Leadsom, who he has backed.

Now we are down to the final two, Home Secretary Theresa May and South Northamptonshire MP Andrea Leadsom, it's over to the Conservative party's 150,000-strong membership to decide.

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The result is due on 9 September and the winner will become the UK's second ever female prime minister.

Michael Gove has been eliminated from the Conservative party leadership ballot, leaving Theresa May opposing South Northamptonshire MP Andrea Leadsom to be the next prime minister.

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The result of the MPs vote was:

Michael Gove - 46

Andrea Leadsom - 84

Theresa May - 199

Voting is now turned over to the members of the Conservatives, with a winner by 9 September.

Tom Newton Dunn political editor of The Sun tweets...

We'll find out in about half an hour's time whether Andrea Leadsom has got down to the last two Conservative leader candidates or not.

Lizzie Rowe, chief operating officer of The Education Fellowship, has been speaking after the Education Policy Institute gave it the lowest ranking of any primary academy trust in England.

She said trusts needed to be given time to make progress and that this was not always shown in immediate results.

"Data enables you to judge the pace and direction of a journey - data is not the journey. Some political powers forget this," she said.

"Our strategy is very sound in developing leadership and enabling teachers to deliver outstanding lessons.

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"Some of the most successful academies started well over a decade ago and were given millions of pounds to get established. We are a new trust working within an area of neglect and deprivation by all political bodies.

"We receive no support from our regional schools commissioner, only negative challenge."

Northamptonshire Police has confirmed an assault in Hardingstone Lane in the early hours of Monday morning was an "alleged sexual assault".

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Det Insp Danny Gasson said the incident is reported to have happened in the underpass at Hardingstone between 02:00 and 11:00 on Monday. He said no-one has been arrested.

Hardingstone Neighbourhood Watch said a lone woman, who did not know the area, had been "badly attacked" and the police were searching for two men.

The Education Fellowship, which runs nine schools in Northamptonshire, has been named the lowest-ranked primary school provider by a think-tank.

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The Education Policy Institute, chaired by the former Liberal Democrat Schools Minister David Laws, has produced a league table of academy trusts and local councils in England. The Education Fellowship is ranked 218th out of 218 based on pupil improvement.

The Fellowship runs schools in Northampton, Wellingborough, Rushden and Raunds. We've contacted it for comment.

Northampton Saints face their first East Midlands derby on 3 December as they face Leicester at Welford Road.

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The Saints will then entertain the Tigers at Franklin's Gardens on 25 March.

Northampton Saints will start the Premiership season on 3 September at home to Bath.

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Then the following weekend they will make the trip to Premiership new boys Bristol.

They will end the league season on 6 May at Franklin's Gardens against Harlequins. 

The Premiership Final will be on 27 May at Twickenham.

Tata Steel is expected to announce on Friday it will pause the sale of most of its UK business, including the plant at Corby.

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However, it will proceed to sell its speciality steel-making business, which employs 2,000 people in Hartlepool, Rotherham and Stocksbridge.

Tata is less concerned about the speed of selling off its other assets due to rising steel prices and a raft of government incentives.

But it leaves the future of the rest of its sizeable workforce, including the 578 in Corby, unclear.

In other news, police are searching for two men in connection with an attack on a woman in Hardingstone in the early hours of Monday morning.

I've been following this story all week since officers cordoned off an underpass while forensics experts examined the scene.

Officially, Northamptonshire Police's press office will only say the force is investigating an "assault" and inquiries are ongoing.

But a neighbourhood watch post on Facebook (below) says a "lone female was badly attacked" between midnight and 14:00 on Monday. It adds the victim "did not know the area".

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Conservative MP Heather Wheeler (right) says she is "really appalled that the dirty tricks have started already" following claims over leadership candidate Andrea Leadsom's CV.

Mrs Leadsom has rejected claims she embellished details of her 25-year career in finance, saying her "incredibly varied" CV is "all absolutely true".

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Conservative MP Daniel Kawczynski (left), who backs Michael Gove, concedes that the leadership contest "could've been done in a better way with fewer personal attacks".

He says he fears Mrs Leadsom doesn't have enough experience to be Conservative leader and prime minister.

You can see my full 12-minute interview with Conservative leadership contender and South Northamptonshire MP Andrea Leadsom by clicking on the video at the top of the page.

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She talks about the criticism surrounding her CV and tax affairs and why she thinks she can really become prime minister.

The tax affairs of Andrea Leadsom have taken up quite a few newspaper column inches since she announced she was running to be Conservative leader, but she denies any tax avoidance.

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They allege Mrs Leadsom and her husband used a loophole for their business, which is now closed, to avoid tax using loans from a Channel Island-based bank.  

The South Northamptonshire MP told me she "shopped around" for a good deal and it was from a British bank that "booked the business in Jersey".

She promises to publish her tax return tomorrow if she gets on the ballot, and told me it was "boring".

She also set out some of her other policies, promising quick decisions on airport expansion and Trident renewal.