Singapore: Sanae Takaichi, a hardline conservative lawmaker, is poised to become Japan’s first female prime minister after securing the presidency of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).

A veteran politician and former economic security minister, Takaichi has styled herself as Japan’s “Iron Lady” and claims Britain’s first female prime minister Margaret Thatcher as her hero.

Her victory at a party leadership vote on Saturday marks a significant moment for the LDP and Japan’s political system in general, where women comprise about 15 per cent of the lower house.

She defeated Agriculture Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, a 44-year-old political scion who was vying to be Japan’s youngest leader in more than a century, meaning the party race was destined to deliver a historic outcome either

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