Theresa May is the new Prime Minister of England. Who is she? What do we know about future British Prime Minister Theresa May

On Wednesday 13 July, British Prime Minister David Cameron arrives at Buckingham Palace to formally notify Queen Elizabeth II of his resignation. He announced the name of his successor on Monday: 59-year-old Theresa May, who holds the post of Home Secretary of the United Kingdom, becomes the head of Her Majesty's government.

All the necessary procedures for this have been followed: the day before, May replaced Cameron as leader of the Conservative Party, and according to the unbreakable British tradition, it is the head of the ruling party who becomes prime minister. The monarch's acceptance of the resignation of the previous one and the appointment of a new head of government look in this case only as a ceremonial rite. One way or another, the new prime minister will now have to determine the personal composition of his cabinet literally in a matter of days.

It is Theresa May, the second female prime minister in the entire history of the country after Margaret Thatcher, who will have to complete a truly historic and unprecedented task. She needs to implement the UK's exit from the European Union in accordance with the results of a popular referendum, in which the majority of the kingdom's citizens voted for Brexit.

But we're talking about not about “divorce” - the severance of Britain’s allied relations with a united Europe. In their place should be erected new system relations, taking into account centuries-old traditions and existing connections - political, economic, financial, humanitarian.

An equally heavy burden falls on its shoulders in the task of overcoming the crisis phenomena that have arisen in the country, including as a result of the referendum.
Brexit has split not only the British political elite, but also the entire population: some believe that Foggy Albion should determine for itself how to live and build its policy, while others fear that a break with the European community will be too expensive. Collecting, reconciling and uniting the country is perhaps the main thing that the new prime minister has to do.

Pragmatism and morality

A comparison of Theresa May with Baroness Margaret Thatcher, also a Conservative Prime Minister who held this post throughout the 1980s, the “Iron Lady,” whose consistent strong-willed policies allowed Great Britain to cope with a severe political and economic crisis, is the first thing that comes to the minds of many journalists and political scientists.

Theresa May's fight against the flow of migrants to the UK was tough and uncompromising. David Cameron has resisted EU calls for Britain to accept as many migrants as possible. While Europe was trying to accommodate millions of refugees, London decided to accept only 20 thousand people, and only those it chooses, and in the period until 2020. The Prime Minister received significant support in this regard from the Minister of Internal Affairs.

May also insisted on tough government measures in the fight against radicals: those heading to fight in Syria were deprived of British passports or expelled from the country.

© AP Photo/Max Nash

© AP Photo/Max Nash

These are just a few of the facts that allow us to speak of the new prime minister as an experienced and strong-willed politician. However, the fact that Theresa May will now lead the UK government came as a surprise to many in the country. If only because of the three potential candidates for this post (except for her, different stages ex-Mayor of London Boris Johnson and female Energy Minister Andrea Leadsom claimed it) she was the only one who was a clear, albeit moderate, opponent of Brexit.

As a result, it turns out that Britain, which voted against this exit, will have to carry out the long, difficult and far from unambiguous process of Britain’s exit from the European Union.

There is no contradiction in this - moreover, of all the possible candidates, the choice fell on the most optimal one - both for the party, and for the government, and for the whole country, says Fyodor Lukyanov, chairman of the presidium of the NGO Council on Foreign and Defense Policy.

According to him, a very difficult situation has developed in Great Britain - there is paralysis of the entire political machine. The losing side of the referendum is in shock, but, what is even more surprising, the winning side is also in a state of shock and does not know what to do with its victory.

“Both major parties are split, the whole society is split. And in this situation, we need a well-known and fairly authoritative person, critical of Brussels, but who did not support the campaign to leave the EU, and finally, a tough and experienced lady. If anyone can stabilize all this and to begin difficult negotiations with the European Union on a new model of coexistence, then it is she, Theresa May,” says Fyodor Lukyanov.

"Britain needs a tough businessman"

Theresa May is sometimes accused of superficiality and lack of competence - for example, while delivering one of her fiery speeches against the EU migration policy, she was unable to answer the question about the exact number of immigrants in the country, although the British Border Service is located in the department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

But a much more serious reproach is her lack of sufficient experience in international affairs. This is also evident from her streamlined statements regarding international problems - for example, she spoke very streamlinedly about relations with Russia, repeating the now banal words that “Moscow must be contained”, but at the same time “a dialogue must be conducted with Moscow” .

International topics will not be the main one on the prime minister’s agenda, Dmitry Abzalov, president of the Center for Strategic Communications, is convinced.

“Now Great Britain does not need a prime minister who delves into all international affairs, like Tony Blair or David Cameron, but needs a head of government who will come to grips with internal problems - domestic violence, migrants, crime. We need a tough business executive who can restore order in the country. Perhaps. , harsh methods, but this is the real situation now,” says the analyst.

On July 13, 2016, Queen Elizabeth II officially accepted David Cameron's resignation as Prime Minister and proposed the formation of a new government to Theresa May, who became the second woman after Margaret Thatcher as Prime Minister of Great Britain. NTV talks about how her career developed and why she was entrusted with leading the country out of the European Union.

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Who is Theresa May?

Theresa May was born in 1956 in Great Britain (East Sussex). She received a BA in Geography from Oxford University. In addition, she worked at the Bank of England and London self-government bodies.

In 1992 she participated in parliamentary elections in the constituency of North West Durham and in the 1994 snap election in the constituency of Barking, but Theresa May was then unable to get enough votes.

However, a few years later she was elected from the new constituency of Maidenhead. Since the same year he has been constantly re-elected.

From 1997 to 2002, she held various minor positions in the shadow Conservative government.

In 2002, she became the first female chairman of the Conservative Party. She was engaged, unlike the party leader, technical issues ensuring the functioning of conservatives.

From 2003 to 2005 she was Shadow Minister for Transport and Shadow Minister for Food and Environment.

From May to December 2005 she was Shadow Minister for Culture, Media and Sport.

From 2009 to 2010 she served as Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.

After the 2010 elections, she was appointed Home Secretary, while also receiving the portfolio of Minister for Women and Equality. In this position, she campaigned for equal rights for same-sex couples, becoming one of the first senior UK politicians to publicly express her support for legalizing same-sex marriage.

In the House of Commons, May voted for the invasion of Iraq, for the adoption of laws to combat climate change, against further integration of Great Britain into the European Union, against the smoking ban in in public places, is against allowing gay couples to adopt children.

Why did she become the new prime minister?

It should be noted that during the campaign before the referendum on Britain's exit from the European Union, Theresa May supported Prime Minister David Cameron, who was against Brexit. However, after summing up the results of the general vote, her opinion changed quite dramatically. After the victory of Brexit supporters and Prime Minister David Cameron's announcement of his resignation, she unexpectedly announced her candidacy for the post of head of the Conservative Party. This automatically means nomination for the post of prime minister of the country.

In the first stage of the election by Conservative MPs, Theresa May became the leader of the race. On July 7, 2016, two women became the final contenders for the post of Prime Minister of the country: Theresa May (she received 199 votes from parliamentarians) and Andrea Leads (received 84 votes). Thus, it was May who became the most likely contender for the post of head of the Conservative Party.

Photo: Reuters/Neil Hall

Already on July 11, 2016, Theresa May became the only candidate for this position. Andrea Leads ended her campaign early. After some time, May was declared leader of the party, and David Cameron resigned.

Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain took over as Prime Minister. Theresa May was officially appointed head of government.

David Cameron: “It was not an easy path, but we got through it, not all decisions were right, but our country has become much stronger than before.”

Let us recall that Theresa May became the second owner of the Downing Street residence in British history (the first woman to serve as prime minister was Margaret Thatcher).

New British Prime Minister: who is Theresa May

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Second after Thatcher

Britain suddenly has a new prime minister. Or rather, not like that. About what the country will have new manager government and that they would be a woman had been known for a long time. But it was expected that the result of the battle between two representatives of the fair sex for the post of prime minister would be summed up only in September. However, it turned out differently.

The name of the political heir Margaret Thatcher can already be named. This is the country's long-time Home Secretary and very experienced politician Theresa May.

I'm a big fan of British political thrillers. But what has been happening in the political circles of London over the past few weeks has forced me once again to come to the conclusion: reality can be much more amazing and even “spooky” than the flight of fancy of the most talented writers. It all started with a political earthquake: unexpectedly for the local political class, Great Britain voted in a referendum to leave the European Union.

Confident of a different outcome of the referendum, Prime Minister David Cameron, naturally, immediately announced his resignation - only fragments remained of his political reputation. Everyone expected that the new prime minister would be ex-mayor of London Boris Johnson, a politician with fantastic charisma and one of the main agitators for the country's exit from the EU. But Johnson was betrayed by his closest ally, Justice Minister Michael Gove, who stated many times that he was unfit to be prime minister. Gove committed unexpected act: announced that Johnson, due to his character defects, cannot be the head of government, and he, Gove, although he still does not want power, is ready to “sacrifice himself” for the sake of the country.

Shocked by his friend's betrayal, Johnson abandoned the fight for the premiership. However, this did not help the Minister of Justice: public opinion branded him a “traitor.” The intrigue did not end there: a new favorite appeared in the prime minister's race, a politician whom until that moment most of“The British public had never heard of it,” Deputy Energy Secretary Andrea Leadsom.

This lady had no serious political experience and was caught lying about her record several times. But she had very serious chances to become prime minister. Andrea Leadsom is a very talented speaker and was an early campaigner for Britain to leave the EU. In the eyes of party activists in the ruling Conservative Party, this distinguished her favorably from the party elite candidate Theresa May. The Home Secretary opposed the country's exit from the European Union. And since the final decision on the new leader of the Conservatives had to be made by the rank-and-file members of the party, Andrea Leadsom was literally one step away from becoming prime minister.

And then everything changed again. In her first major newspaper interview with the influential Times newspaper, Andrea Leadsom made a huge mistake: she made it clear that Theresa May's childlessness made her an unacceptable candidate for the post of prime minister. There was a storm of indignation, and Andrea Leadsom left the race for the post of head of government. There is only one participant left in it - the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Theresa May.

What is known about this future political heir, Margaret Thatcher? This fall she will be 60 years old. She has headed the Ministry of Internal Affairs since May 2010, which by modern British standards is a tremendous achievement. Before May took up the post, the highly prestigious post of Home Secretary had been considered “bewitched” in Britain for a number of years. Theresa May's five predecessors entered the Home Office as promising politicians and left as disgraced and discredited figures.

But nothing “stuck” to Theresa May in a dangerous position: she headed the Home Office longer than anyone else, since 1892. Theresa May has a reputation as a very serious and very tough politician who is not inclined to play to the public. Some even call her downright boring. But most experts agree: there was already plenty of “fun” in British politics.

The country is in a very difficult situation. The UK is obliged to leave the European Union. But no one knows under what conditions this will be done. Britain faces the prospect of economic crisis, declining living standards and even collapse. Scotland, where most of the population voted against leaving the EU, is now considering a second independence referendum. In such conditions, it is better to have at the head of the country, albeit boring, but an experienced and skillful politician. Theresa May fits this description perfectly.

On July 13, the current British Prime Minister David Cameron resigns after the referendum on the United Kingdom leaving the European Union. Let us remind you that the majority of citizens voted in favor of excluding Foggy Albion from the European Union. David Cameron took the opposite position, so he decided to give way to another politician. And today he announced the name of his successor, who became the current British Home Secretary Theresa May. What do we know about her?

The second woman in the history of the country

59-year-old Theresa May will become the second woman in British history to serve as prime minister. Before her, only Margaret Thatcher occupied this chair. In addition, Cameron's successor in 2002 became the first female chairman of the Conservative Party in the country. There is often a comparison in the media between Teresa and another prominent representative of European politics - German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Both women are credited with taking a merciless stance towards migrant workers.

A clergyman's daughter and an Oxford student

Like Angela Merkel's father, Theresa May's parent was versed in matters of theology. The future Prime Minister of Great Britain was born into the family of a Protestant minister in the seaside town of Eastbourne on the south coast of England. She received her education at Oxford University, where she studied geography. Alma mater also gave Teresa a meeting with her future husband. At a modest student disco she met Philip John May. This year their marriage turns 36 years old. The couple has no children.

Philip and Theresa May

Obedient parishioner and supporter of same-sex marriage

Theresa May considers herself a liberal conservative. She supports gender equality and is a supporter of same-sex marriage, although she voted against expanding gay rights in 2002.

Leopard print shoes and patent leather boots for meeting the Queen

The future British Prime Minister is known for her bold footwear choices for official functions. Thus, colleagues in the Conservative Party remembered her leopard-print pumps, which Theresa May wore to one of the annual party conferences. And once she had to curtsey to Queen Elizabeth II and meet the President of Mexico in patent leather boots. She responds to ironic comments from journalists with a smile:

I don't regret my choice of shoes. Good boots should also cope with the role of an icebreaker.

Queen Elizabeth II and Theresa May

Life in the shadows

Theresa May held various minor positions in the shadow Conservative government for many years: she was the shadow minister for transport, food, environment, culture, work and pensions.

Smokers' rights

Photo gettyimages.com

However, what happened over the next few days shocked the country no less than the outcome of the referendum.

After the failure of the “remainers” (from the English “remain” - to remain), to whose camp the then prime minister belonged David Cameron, he immediately announced his decision to resign. “I fought against leaving the EU with all my might, but the British chose a different path. This means they need a new prime minister,” Cameron explained his decision. And so it happened: in early July, Britain received a new prime minister. But it turned out to be not at all Boris Johnson, who has been tipped for this post for several years.

Unexpectedly for many, the 59-year-old woman became the head of the cabinet of ministers. Theresa May, who at that time had spent 6 years as Minister of the Interior - an unprecedented period for England. July 13, 2016 Queen of Great Britain Elizabeth II approved Teresa as prime minister and asked her to begin forming a new government. Theresa May became the second woman in British history (after Margaret Thatcher) to take the post of prime minister, and the first who will have to withdraw the country from the European Union (although some cherish the hope that the latter will not happen after all).

Teresa could not avoid comparisons with the first female prime minister. And is it worth avoiding such flattering parallels? May is called the second “iron lady”, the same “steel hand in a velvet glove” that Thatcher was previously credited with. But who is she really? And how was the character of the new prime minister formed?

Biography of Theresa May

Teresa's childhood

Theresa Mary May, née Theresa Mary Brasier, was born on October 1, 1956 in the seaside town of Eastbourne on the south coast of Great Britain. Teresa's family later moved to Oxfordshire. Her parents belonged to the middle class: her father, Hubert Brasier, was a vicar Anglican Church, and her mother Zaidee Mary Brasier is a housewife.

Young Teresa received a classical English upbringing: she studied at a Catholic girls' school at the monastery, and then at secondary school in the village of Whitley. The girl willingly participated in plays staged by her father, and on Saturdays she worked in a bakery to earn pocket money.

College studies

In 1974, after finishing school, Teresa, like Margaret Thatcher, went to Oxford, V St Hughes College(St Hugh's College), where she studied geography. In her third year of study, Teresa met her future husband Philip, who was president at that time Oxford Union– a platform for communication between like-minded people and an “incubator” for future political leaders.

Teresa's university friend Pat Frankland recalls that even then she was full of ambition: “I remember very well how Teresa dreamed of becoming the first woman prime minister and was extremely annoyed that this title went to Margaret Thatcher.” But still, May can hardly be called a complete bore and a hardened careerist: both Frankland and Teresa’s other classmates note that although student drinking sessions passed this young lady by, she nevertheless knew how to have fun and led a very active social life.

Carier start

After graduating from university, Teresa began her career in London City: First she got a job as a financial consultant at the Bank of England, and later headed the European affairs department at the Association of Interbank Settlement Systems.

In 1980, four years after they met, Teresa and Philip got married. After the wedding, a series of tragic events begins in the life of the future prime minister: in 1981, Teresa’s father dies in a car accident, and a few months later her mother dies of multiple sclerosis. The death of her parents becomes a difficult test for Teresa, but she finds the strength to cope with grief.

First steps in politics

Despite successful career in the City, all this time Teresa had the feeling that her true calling was politics. In 1986 she was elected to office local council member in the borough of Merton in south London, subsequently becoming deputy leader of the council. Having served a total of over six years in local government, Teresa prepared to move further along the political path.

In 1992, Mrs May first ran for Parliament from County Durham, but this first attempt, alas, was unsuccessful. Five years later she was elected member of the House of Commons for Maidenhead and joined William Hague's opposition team. This turning point marked the beginning of Theresa May's meteoric rise to become the head of the UK government.

In 1999 it became part of the so-called "shadow cabinet" ministers, appointed by opposition leaders, as shadow education minister. And three years later she becomes the first female chairman of the Conservative Party.

Further, Theresa May's career developed more than rapidly: in 2003, she was appointed to the post of shadow Minister of Transport and took the oath of office to the Privy Council, becoming a consultant to Her Majesty. A year later, in June 2004, Mrs May becomes shadow minister for culture, media and sport.

In December 2005, David Cameron, then leader of the Conservative Party, appoints Theresa as shadow leader of the House of Commons. And in January 2009, May received new position– Shadow Minister for Work and Pensions.

Theresa May is the new Prime Minister of Great Britain

In May 2010, Theresa May was re-elected to a second term as Member of Parliament for Maidenhead. Following his own re-election to parliament, David Cameron, who by that time had become Prime Minister of Great Britain, announced the appointment of Teresa to the post Minister of the Interior.

One may consider Teresa a boring politician, outwardly cold and constrained, but we must give her her due: before her appointment as Prime Minister, she managed to head the Ministry of Internal Affairs for entire years. six years old- a record period for Great Britain - and not once during this time was she caught in any scandal.

What they say about Theresa May

Colleagues and partners speak of May as an honest, insightful and sober politician, capable of making informed decisions. Teresa does not play to the public and always keeps a reasonable distance from everyone. As chairman of the Conservative Party, she refused her honorary membership in the Carlton Club, the oldest private Tory club in England. She is an unapologetic feminist and boldly poses in a T-shirt emblazoned with the words: “This is what a real feminist looks like.”

In 2006, together with Baroness Anne Jenkin, Theresa May founded the Women2Win Association, which aims to increase the number of Conservative women in Parliament. And in 2010, at the same time as her appointment as Home Secretary, Teresa was appointed Minister for Women and Equalities.

Acquaintances and friends note the constant and boundless support that Teresa’s husband provides. Some draw a parallel with Margaret Thatcher's husband, Denis Thatcher. Like Denis, Philip always remains in the shadow of his wife while she runs the country. Unfortunately, the couple does not have children - and, perhaps because this topic is so painful for Teresa, she never comments on it in an interview.

1. Teresa was introduced to her future husband by her classmate at a meeting of the Student Conservative Association in 1976. A classmate's name was Benaziir Bhutto - and it was she who later became the first woman prime minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

2. Mrs May promises the people of Britain "a positive future in a country that works not for a few privileged people, but for everyone." She promised to fight social inequality and reduce taxes.

3. Free from political activity Teresa is passionate about cooking: she has a collection of more than 100 cookbooks at home. In addition, the current Prime Minister enjoys long walks.

4. Teresa's true passion is bright and stylish shoes. Moreover, her choice of shoes is sometimes so extraordinary that some consider it inappropriate for a woman of such a high position.

5. In 2013, Teresa was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. This means she requires life-saving insulin injections twice a day for the rest of her life. However, according to the assurances of the “Iron Lady” herself, this procedure has already become so much a habit that it will not affect her political activity in any way.