Premiership of Theresa May

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Theresa May
Premiership of Theresa May
13 July 2016 – 24 July 2019
MonarchElizabeth II
Cabinet
PartyConservative
Election2017
Seat10 Downing Street


Coat of Arms of HM Government
Official website

Salisbury poisonings. As prime minister, May served simultaneously as First Lord of the Treasury and as Minister for the Civil Service
.

May was elected unopposed as

Article 50 in March 2017. The following month, she announced a snap general election, with the aims of strengthening her hand in Brexit negotiations and highlighting her "strong and stable" leadership. This resulted in a hung parliament in which the number of Conservative seats had fallen from 330 to 317, despite the party winning its highest vote share since 1983. The loss of an overall majority prompted her to enter a confidence and supply arrangement with the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) of Northern Ireland to support a minority government
.

May carried out the Brexit negotiations with the European Union, adhering to the

White Paper[1] and signed an immigration treaty with France to stem illegal border crossings in January 2018.[2]

Although May did not succeed in getting much of her Brexit legislation through Parliament, her government was nevertheless responsible for passing the Great Repeal Act and for negotiating and approving the near-entirety of the UK's terms of exit from the EU.[3] Three budgets were passed during her tenure: the first in March 2017, the second in November 2017 and the third and final in October 2018. May was also a prominent figure in leading the international condemnation and response to Russia over the Salisbury poisonings of Sergei and Yulia Skripal in March 2018. May survived two votes of no confidence in December 2018 and January 2019, but after versions of her draft withdrawal agreement were rejected by Parliament three times and her party's poor performance in the May 2019 European Parliament election, she left office on 24 July and was succeeded by Boris Johnson, her former Foreign Secretary. May is viewed unfavourably in historical rankings and public opinion of British prime ministers.

Conservative leadership bid

In

Queen Elizabeth II on that day, who subsequently appointed May as his successor.[5][6]

In her first speech as prime minister, May paid tribute to Cameron, saying "In David Cameron, I follow in the footsteps of a great, modern Prime Minister. Under David’s leadership, the government stabilised the economy, reduced the budget deficit, and helped more people into work than ever before. But David’s true legacy is not about the economy but about social justice. From the introduction of same-sex marriage, to taking people on low wages out of income tax altogether; David Cameron has led a one-nation government, and it is in that spirit that I also plan to lead."[7]

Early days

When appointed by the Queen on 13 July 2016, May became the UK's second female prime minister,[8] after Margaret Thatcher, and the nation's first female Prime Minister of the 21st century.[9] She told the media on 11 July 2016 that she was "honoured and humbled" to ascend to the role.[10]

Responding to some calls for a general election (reported by the news media) to confirm her mandate, "sources close to Mrs May" said there would be no such election, according to the BBC.[11] In a speech after her appointment, May emphasised the term Unionist in the name of the Conservative Party, reminding all of "the precious, precious bond between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland."[12] By 15 July 2016, May had travelled to Edinburgh, Scotland to meet with first minister Nicola Sturgeon, to reinforce the bond between Scotland and the rest of the country. "This visit to Scotland is my first as prime minister and I'm coming here to show my commitment to preserving this special union that has endured for centuries," she explained.[13] After a meeting at Bute House, May offered the following comment about Scotland's role in the negotiations about the UK's exit from the EU: "I'm willing to listen to options and I've been very clear with the First Minister today that I want the Scottish government to be fully engaged in our discussion."[14]

In August 2016, May launched an investigation aimed at identifying and reducing racism within public services.[15]

As part of the government's plan to curb

multipacks and 'buy one, get one free') in supermarkets, restaurants, cafes and takeaways.[17]

Health Service

Under May, consultation began over cost saving, streamlining and reduction of some services in the National Health Service (NHS).[18] Critics feared cuts that could "put lives at risk"[19] even though the review focused primarily on reducing costs. An article in The Guardian suggested possible benefits from the review but feared secrecy within the NHS was hindering effective public discussion.[20] Liberal Democrat MP Norman Lamb accepted the review made sense in principle but stated: "While it is important that the NHS becomes more efficient and sustainable for future generations, redesign of care models will only get us so far – and no experts believe the Conservative doctrine that an extra £8 billion funding by 2020 will be anywhere near enough."[21]

Grammar schools

In September 2016, May announced that she would end a ban on new

Queen's Speech, and was deemed unlikely to be pursued.[29]

Child poverty

The Child Poverty Unit was merged with the Department for Work and Pensions leading to fears by some that child poverty would be less of a priority under May. This "ran counter" to May's pledge to "govern for everyone and fight the injustice of being born poor". A study said that from 2014 to 2015 28% of UK children were poor.[30] The Child Poverty Action Group feared restricting the Child Poverty Unit to one department would reduce its effectiveness. The Institute for Fiscal Studies projected a 50% increase in child poverty by 2020 due to benefit cuts and 'sluggish wages'.[31][32]

Ministerial appointments

May appointed new Cabinet members in "one of the most sweeping government reshuffles for decades",[33] described by The Telegraph as "a brutal cull": several prominent members, including six of David Cameron's ministers, were removed from their posts.[34] The early appointments were interpreted both as "centrist and conciliatory", an effort to reunite the party in the wake of the UK's vote to leave the European Union, and as "a shift to the right", according to The Guardian.[35] Robert Peston of ITV News specifically labelled her new Cabinet as right wing.[36]

May abolished the

Department for Energy and Climate Change in a move widely criticised by Greenpeace which expressed concern the new government failed to see the threat from climate change, Friends of the Earth which said climate change "is happening now while the new government lowers its priority", and also by other more impartial peoples and groups.[clarification needed] Climate change was included within the scope of the new Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.[37]

Upon becoming prime minister, May appointed former Mayor of London

Northern Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers resigned from Cabinet after May offered her a post which was "not one which I felt I could take on".[45]

May jointly appointed Fiona Hill and Nick Timothy on 14 July as her Downing Street Chiefs of Staff.[46] Both had been political advisers to her at the Home Office before both working outside the government for a brief period before working on her leadership campaign.[47][48] The three ministers with new roles who worked to negotiate Brexit all espoused the Leave vote: David Davis, Liam Fox and Boris Johnson.[13]

Foreign trips

World map highlighting countries visited by Theresa May during her premiership
May with Angela Merkel and Donald Trump at the G20 Hamburg summit in July 2017