#Bloodydifficultwoman: Twitter responds to Ken Clarke's criticism of Theresa May

Women are coming out on Twitter as proud to be "difficult" in support of Theresa May, one of two female candidates likely to become the next British prime minister when incumbent David Cameron steps down.

After a senior Conservative politician Ken Clarke, 76, was caught on camera describing Mrs May as "bloody difficult", the Twittersphere did what it does best: it went into overdrive, mocking his views. #Bloodydifficultwoman became one of the hottest trends on Twitter on Wednesday (Australian time).

In my experience, when men describe you as a #bloodydifficultwoman, they mean you are more intelligent than they are.

— Jo Warner (@JoWarner01) July 5, 2016

Britain's Home Secretary Theresa May, dubbed "bloody difficult" by Ken Clarke. Photo: AP

Mr Clarke, a lawmaker for 46 years, was a minister in the governments of Conservative leaders Mr Cameron, John Major and Margaret Thatcher.

He was speaking as Conservative lawmakers began voting in the contest to replace Mr Cameron, who said he would step down after Britons voted last month to leave, or "Brexit", the European Union.

"Theresa is a bloody difficult woman but you and I worked for Margaret Thatcher," Mr Clarke said in a conversation with former foreign secretary Malcolm Rifkind. "She won't be any more difficult than that."

Ken Clarke in a candid conversation with Sir Malcolm Rifkind in the Sky News studio. Photo: Screenshot, Sky News

The discussion was recorded while Mr Clarke was waiting to be interviewed on Sky News. It is not clear if he knew he was being filmed.

"I get on all right with her and she is good," said Mr Clarke, adding that he expected he would "wind up voting Theresa" after possibly lending his vote to work and pensions minister Stephen Crabb in the first round.

"She's been at the Home Office [interior ministry] far too long, so I only know in detail what her views are on the Home Office. She doesn't know much about foreign affairs."

Contender: Andrea Leadsom, a junior energy minister. Photo: Bloomberg

Mrs May has been interior minister for the past six years, the longest period of any politician for a century in a job that is often described as one of the cabinet's most challenging roles.

She opened up a commanding lead over her nearest rival, Andrea Leadsom, on Tuesday.

In a first ballot of Conservative members of Parliament, she won 165 votes and Mrs Leadsom, a junior energy minister, won 66.

Raising a glass to Bloody Difficult Women everywhere. #BloodyDifficultWoman pic.twitter.com/f1xFWyc4UA

— Hannah Rose Woods (@hannahrosewoods) July 5, 2016

When a male equivalent would be "strong, assertive, passionate..." OK...#BloodyDifficultWoman pic.twitter.com/5zBv8xSnVW

— RedSoc (@gifofred) July 5, 2016

Interesting that being both a #BloodyDifficultWoman & being an 'easy' woman are both bad...According to these ideas, what should a woman be?

— Niamh NicGhabhann (@Niamh_NicGhabh) July 5, 2016

Former defence minister Liam Fox won the fewest votes, 16, and was eliminated.

Female members of Parliament rounded on Mr Clarke on Twitter over his comments about Mrs May.

"For 'difficult woman' read knows her own mind, un-clubby, no pushover," opposition Labour lawmaker Liz Kendall said, to which Conservative lawmaker Anna Soubry responded: "Let's celebrate 'difficult' women!!' "

Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson tweeted: "Amen, sisters."

Mr Clarke said he did not think Mrs Leadsom was in favour of leaving the EU.

"She does have experience in the city ... She is not one of the tiny band of lunatics who think we can have a sort of glorious economic future outside the single market.

"So long as she understands that she's not to deliver on some of the extremely stupid things she's been saying."

Mrs Leadsom said in 2013 she did not think Britain should leave the EU.

If Mrs May or Mrs Leadsom wins, Britain would have its second female prime minister after Mrs Thatcher.

In the conversation, Mr Clarke also criticised several of the candidates for his party's leadership.

He described Michael Gove as "wild" and the idea that Boris Johnson might have become prime minister as "ridiculous".

A spokesman for Mr Clarke, himself a candidate for the party's leadership in the past, said he would not be commenting on the clip.

The winner will ultimately be decided by about 150,000 Conservative Party members in September, once MPs have whittled the field down to two candidates.

Reuters, Julie Power