Theresa May

Theresa May served as prime minister of the United Kingdom from July 13, 2016, to July 24, 2019. She was elected following Prime Minister David Cameron's resignation after the outcome of the European Union membership referendum, but resigned after several unsuccessful attempts to negotiate a deal for Britain's withdrawal. She is the UK's second female prime minister after Margaret Thatcher.

May was born October 1, 1956, in Eastbourne, Sussex. She earned a B.A. degree in geography from St. Hugh's College, University of Oxford, in 1977. From 1977 to 1983, she worked at the Bank of England, and from 1985 to 1997 she worked as a financial consultant and senior advisor in international affairs at the Association for Payment Clearing Services.

May began her political career serving as a councillor for the London Borough of Merton from 1986 to 1994. She stood unsuccessfully for a seat in the House of Commons in 1992 and 1994, and was elected MP for Maidenhead in 1997. She served various leadership roles in the Shadow Cabinets of William Hague, Iain Duncan Smith, Michael Howard and David Cameron. In July 2002, she was appointed the first female chairman of the Conservative Party, serving until November 2003. She was appointed home secretary in May 2010, holding that office until being appointed prime minister in July 2016, the fourth woman to hold one of the British Great Offices of State and the longest-serving home secretary in the past 60 years.

Sources:

Crown copyright (n.d.). “The Rt Hon Theresa May MP” Crown copyright. Retrieved December 5, 2022. https://www.gov.uk/government/history/past-prime-ministers/theresa-may

Crown copyright (n.d.). “The Rt Hon Theresa May MP” Crown copyright. Retrieved December 5, 2022. https://www.gov.uk/government/people/theresa-may

Wallenfeldt, J. (2016, July 12). “Theresa May” Britannica. Retrieved December 5, 2022. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Theresa-May