Theresa May

Theresa May
Roger Harris · CC BY 3.0 · source
Name	Theresa May
Caption	May in 2017
Office	Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
Term start	13 July 2016
Term end	24 July 2019
Predecessor	David Cameron
Successor	Boris Johnson
Birth name	Theresa Mary Brasier
Birth date	1 October 1956
Birth place	Eastbourne, Sussex, England
Party	Conservative Party
Alma mater	St Hugh's College, Oxford

Theresa May served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2016 to 2019 and was previously Home Secretary from 2010 to 2016. A member of the Conservative Party, she represented Maidenhead in the House of Commons from 1997 to 2019. Her premiership was dominated by negotiations over the European Union exit process following the 2016 referendum and by debates within the Parliament and international partners including the European Commission and European leaders such as Angela Merkel, Emmanuel Macron, Jean-Claude Juncker and Donald Tusk.

Early life and education

Born in Eastbourne and raised in Oxford, she is the daughter of Zaidee Mary (née Barnes) and Hubert Brasier. She attended Holton Park Girls' Grammar School and later Hitchin Girls’ Grammar School before studying Geography at St Hugh's College, Oxford. While at Oxford she was active in the Conservative Association and worked at Bank of England-adjacent research and later at the Association for Payment Clearing Services and the Banking sector including roles connected to NatWest practices. Her background connected her to institutions such as University of Oxford and regional authorities including Oxfordshire County Council.

Early political career and parliamentary rise

May began her elected career on Witney District Council and later served on Merton London Borough Council. She contested the Labour Party-held seat of North West Durham in 1992 before being elected as MP for Maidenhead in the 1997 general election. Within the Conservative Party she served under leaders including William Hague, Iain Duncan Smith, Michael Howard and David Cameron. She was appointed to the Shadow Cabinet as Shadow Secretary for Culture, Media and Sport and later held portfolios including Shadow Leader of the House of Commons under Michael Howard. After the 2005 election she continued to build influence, joining the frontbench and becoming a key figure in debates over policies promoted by the Treasury and cross-party discussions with entities such as the Labour Party and Liberal Democrats.

Home Secretary (2010–2016)

Appointed Home Secretary by Prime Minister David Cameron after the 2010 election and the formation of the coalition government, she oversaw agencies including the Home Office, the Metropolitan Police Service, and coordination with the Ministry of Justice. Her tenure dealt with issues involving the Iraq War inquiries and counterterrorism measures tied to incidents such as attacks linked to Islamist terrorism and debates about the Investigatory Powers Act. She championed reforms to stop-and-search practices and oversaw policing responses during events such as protests involving Trade Unions and large public gatherings in London. Her record included contentious decisions on deportation cases involving the European Court of Human Rights and cooperation with international partners including the United States and France on extradition and security.

Prime Minister (2016–2019)

Following the resignation of David Cameron after the 2016 referendum, she won the Conservative Party leadership contest against rivals including Boris Johnson and Michael Gove to become Prime Minister. She appointed a Cabinet featuring figures such as Philip Hammond, Amber Rudd, David Davis, Dominic Raab, Sajid Javid and Jeremy Hunt. Her government held a working relationship with the Queen as Head of State and engaged with institutions such as the Civil Service and the Cabinet Office. Internationally she represented the UK at summits including NATO, engaged with bilateral partners such as China and Japan, and negotiated Brexit terms with the European Council and the European Union’s negotiating team led by Michel Barnier.

Domestic policy and governance

Her domestic agenda included initiatives on housing planning reforms, industrial strategy coordination with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, and social policy involving the Department for Work and Pensions. She presided over responses to events such as the Grenfell Tower fire and commissioned reviews involving the Health and Social Care Act 2012-era institutions including the NHS. Her administration engaged with devolved institutions including the Scottish Government, the Welsh Government, and the Northern Ireland Executive on funding and policy. Economic stewardship involved coordination with the Bank of England and oversight of fiscal measures impacting interactions with bodies such as the International Monetary Fund and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

Brexit negotiations and legacy

May negotiated a Withdrawal Agreement with the European Union which included the Northern Ireland backstop and a Political Declaration on future relations. Her draft agreements were rejected in successive meaningful votes in the House of Commons, leading to political battles with groups such as the European Research Group and negotiations with cross-party figures including Yvette Cooper and Hilary Benn. The impasse contributed to the resignation of ministers including David Davis and Boris Johnson and to challenges from within the Conservative Party and opposition parties including Labour. Her decision to call a snap 2017 general election resulted in a hung Parliament and a confidence-and-supply agreement with the Democratic Unionist Party of Northern Ireland. Historians and analysts compare her premiership and Brexit strategy to prior UK negotiations such as the Treaty of Lisbon and to EU withdrawals like the Greenland withdrawal from the European Communities in discussions of constitutional and international precedent.

Personal life and honours

She is married to Philip May and has no children. Her faith is associated with the Church of England. She received honours including appointment to the Order of the Companions of Honour and has engaged with charitable and civic institutions such as Barnardo's and Relief Charities; she has been the subject of portraits in institutions like the National Portrait Gallery. Her legacy is discussed alongside figures such as Margaret Thatcher, Tony Blair, John Major, Gordon Brown, David Cameron and Winston Churchill in studies by scholars at institutions including Oxford University, London School of Economics, Cambridge University and think tanks including the Institute for Government and Chatham House.

Category:Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom Category:Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom Category:Conservative Party (UK) MPs