Changing of the guard: what we know about the new British Prime Minister Theresa May. New British Prime Minister: who is Theresa May

Second after Thatcher

Britain suddenly has a new prime minister. Or rather, not like that. It has been known for a long time that the country will have a new head of government and that it will be a woman. 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 did an unexpected thing: he announced that Johnson, due to his character defects, could not be the head of government, and he, Gove, although he still did not want power, was 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 as a “traitor.” The intrigue did not end there: a new favorite appeared in the prime minister's race, a politician whom most of the British public had never heard of until that moment - Deputy Energy Minister Andrea Leadsom.

This lady had no serious political experience and had been 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.

Political career

In 1986-1994 she was a member of the local council of the London borough of Merton. She participated in the 1992 parliamentary elections in the North West Durham constituency and in the 1994 snap elections in the Barking constituency, but was not successful.

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

Conservative Party leadership election

During the 2016 campaign before the referendum on Britain's exit from the European Union, she supported Prime Minister David Cameron and was opposed to Brexit. But after the referendum, in which the Eurosceptics won, and Prime Minister David Cameron’s announcement of his upcoming resignation, she announced her candidacy for the post of head of the Conservative Party and, therefore, Prime Minister of Great Britain.

On July 5, 2016, in the first round of elections by Conservative parliamentarians for the leader of the Conservative Party, Theresa May immediately became the favorite in the race, gaining 165 votes. And on July 7, two women became finalists in the race for the post of leader of the British Conservatives and Prime Minister of the country - Theresa May, who received the support of 199 parliamentarians, and Deputy Minister of Energy Andrea Leadsom, who received 84 votes, after which Theresa was considered the most likely contender for the post of Prime Minister of Great Britain.

On 11 July 2016, Leadsom ended her campaign, leaving May as the sole candidate. Soon she was declared the leader of the party. David Cameron has announced that he will hand over the powers of Prime Minister to Theresa on July 13th. Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain accepted his resignation and gave an audience to Theresa May, at which she invited her to form a new government. Theresa May gave her consent and thus became the second woman in British history to hold the post of Prime Minister (after Margaret Thatcher).

Personal life

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Excerpt characterizing May, Teresa

Since the morning of that day, Natasha had not had a minute of freedom, and not once had time to think about what lay ahead of her.
In the damp, cold air, in the cramped and incomplete darkness of the swaying carriage, for the first time she vividly imagined what awaited her there, at the ball, in the illuminated halls - music, flowers, dancing, the sovereign, all the brilliant youth of St. Petersburg. What awaited her was so beautiful that she did not even believe that it would happen: it was so incongruous with the impression of cold, cramped space and darkness of the carriage. She understood everything that awaited her only when, having walked along the red cloth of the entrance, she entered the entryway, took off her fur coat and walked next to Sonya in front of her mother between the flowers along the illuminated stairs. Only then did she remember how she had to behave at the ball and tried to adopt the majestic manner that she considered necessary for a girl at the ball. But fortunately for her, she felt that her eyes were running wild: she could not see anything clearly, her pulse beat a hundred times a minute, and the blood began to pound at her heart. She could not accept the manner that would make her funny, and she walked, frozen with excitement and trying with all her might to hide it. And this was the very manner that suited her most of all. In front and behind them, talking just as quietly and also in ball gowns, guests entered. The mirrors along the stairs reflected ladies in white, blue, pink dresses, with diamonds and pearls on their open arms and necks.
Natasha looked in the mirrors and in the reflection could not distinguish herself from others. Everything was mixed into one brilliant procession. Upon entering the first hall, the uniform roar of voices, footsteps, and greetings deafened Natasha; the light and shine blinded her even more. The owner and hostess, who had already been standing at the front door for half an hour and said the same words to those entering: “charme de vous voir,” [in admiration that I see you], also greeted the Rostovs and Peronskaya.
Two girls in white dresses, with identical roses in their black hair, sat down in the same way, but the hostess involuntarily fixed her gaze longer on thin Natasha. She looked at her and smiled especially at her, in addition to her masterful smile. Looking at her, the hostess remembered, perhaps, her golden, irrevocable girlhood time, and her first ball. The owner also followed Natasha with his eyes and asked the count who was his daughter?
- Charmante! [Charming!] - he said, kissing the tips of his fingers.
Guests stood in the hall, crowding at the front door, waiting for the sovereign. The Countess placed herself in the front row of this crowd. Natasha heard and felt that several voices asked about her and looked at her. She realized that those who paid attention to her liked her, and this observation calmed her somewhat.
“There are people just like us, and there are people worse than us,” she thought.
Peronskaya named the countess the most significant people who were at the ball.
“This is the Dutch envoy, you see, gray-haired,” said Peronskaya, pointing to an old man with silver gray curly, abundant hair, surrounded by ladies, whom he made laugh for some reason.
“And here she is, the queen of St. Petersburg, Countess Bezukhaya,” she said, pointing to Helen as she entered.
- How good! Will not yield to Marya Antonovna; Look how both young and old flock to her. She is both good and smart... They say the prince... is crazy about her. But these two, although not good, are even more surrounded.
She pointed to a lady passing through the hall with a very ugly daughter.
“This is a millionaire bride,” said Peronskaya. - And here are the grooms.
“This is Bezukhova’s brother, Anatol Kuragin,” she said, pointing to the handsome cavalry guard who walked past them, looking somewhere from the height of his raised head across the ladies. - How good! is not it? They say they will marry him to this rich woman. And your sauce, Drubetskoy, is also very confusing. They say millions. “Why, it’s the French envoy himself,” she answered about Caulaincourt when the countess asked who it was. - Look like some kind of king. But still, the French are nice, very nice. No miles for society. And here she is! No, our Marya Antonovna is the best! And how simply dressed. Lovely! “And this fat one, with glasses, is a world-class pharmacist,” said Peronskaya, pointing to Bezukhov. “Put him next to your wife: he’s a fool!”

The patriarchal Anglican family into which Theresa Mary May was born laid down in future politics the ability to overcome difficulties, to be persistent and at the same time flexible.

If Margaret Thatcher was called the “iron” lady for her political inflexibility, then for Theresa May’s unique ability to find compromises without compromising her own beliefs, principles and interests of Britain, she has already been dubbed the “lead” lady.

Education and start of a political career

Having barely graduated from Oxford University and becoming a bachelor in geography, the girl lost both parents in a short time. In 1956, her father, a rural vicar, died in a car accident. A year after the death of her husband, her mother also passed away. The life tragedies that befell the young girl strengthened her character and taught her to rely only on herself.

From 1984 to 1992, Teresa’s political biography began. During this period, she was a deputy of local governments and unsuccessfully ran for Parliament several times.

In 1997 she joined the House of Commons. Until 2002, she held a number of posts in the so-called shadow government.

Also in 2002, she took up the post of chairman of the Conservative Party. May became the first woman to hold this important position.

Coming out of the shadows

After the victory of the Conservatives in the parliamentary elections in 2010, Teresa received a portfolio in the government of David Cameron - she headed the Ministry of Internal Affairs. She remained in this chair until 2016. In parallel, from 2010 to 2012, she successfully headed the Ministry of Women and Equality.

As a politician, despite her Protestant upbringing, she advocated allowing same-sex marriage. At the same time, she was against the adoption of children into such families.

In the House of Commons, she supported the participation of British troops in the military campaign in Iraq. May was opposed to further and deeper integration of Great Britain into the structures of the European Union. She also spoke out very categorically against the influx of emigrants into the country.

After Brexit and Cameron’s announcement of resignation, she showed her claims in the elections for the post of head of the Conservative party. This meant that if she won, she would take the post of prime minister. With her rival withdrawing from the final election for the position, May became party leader in 2016. After Cameron's resignation was accepted by the Queen, Theresa May was able to begin forming a new government.

Privacy policy

British politician and statesman Theresa May (Brasier) was born in Eastbourne, East Sussex. Date of birth: October 1, 1956. According to the Western horoscope - Libra. Height and weight – 163 cm and 59 kg.

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 unprecedentedly complex 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 are not talking about a “divorce”—a severance of Britain’s allied relations with a united Europe. In their place, a new system of relations must be built, taking into account both centuries-old traditions and existing ties - 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 (besides her, ex-London Mayor Boris Johnson and female Energy Minister Andrea Leadsom were candidates for it at various stages), 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, when giving 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 part of the Home Office.

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.

Theresa May, despite the fact that even before her sensational appointment her career was going uphill, people started talking about relatively recently. Not only the new prime minister’s career achievements, but also his personal ones came under the scrutiny of the world community. The press actively writes about the complex character and impeccable restraint of Lady May, for which one of her colleagues even called her a marble woman. And her extravagant style of clothing and love for original shoes immediately became the object of independent discussion. However, May herself rarely allows herself to be mocked - after all, it’s not for nothing that they call her the second Margaret Thatcher.

Job

Teresa was born into a religious family, raised in strict Puritan traditions and, it seems, from childhood she probably knew what she wanted. A specific upbringing and an excellent education at Oxford did their job - throughout her career in politics, May always made decisions based not on ideology, but on personal morality: this woman clearly understands what is good and what is bad. Iron integrity allowed Teresa to make a dizzying career in, it must be said, a rather short period of time. Theresa May began to be interested in politics back in the late 80s. Then she took her first post - she became the head of one of the London districts. But May always dreamed of more, namely, to be the first woman prime minister. Thatcher, of course, was ahead of her (simply because she was born much earlier), but May was still disappointed - she never liked being second. Then May suffered several more crushing defeats - she tried to run for high positions, but, alas, nothing good came of it. Another would have given up long ago, but not Teresa.

In 2002, Teresa managed to become the first female chairman of the Conservative Party. Actually, it was in this position that she showed her love for categorical and direct statements. It is easy to assume that she practiced this style of communication before, but from now on almost every statement Teresa made became public knowledge. For example, in 2002, speaking to delegates at the party congress, she said: “You know what people say about us - they call us an evil party.” The words of the future Prime Minister, oddly enough, did not cause condemnation, but, on the contrary, made them respect the future Iron Lady No. 2 even more. Because of her sharp tongue, her colleagues in the Conservative Party use the epithet “bloody difficult” in relation to her. Well, she can really speak out harshly, but Teresa has a principle that she never violates - not to use swear words in her speech.

Following the 2010 election, Theresa May was appointed Home Secretary (a post she held longer than any of her predecessors) and was given the portfolio of Women and Equalities Minister at the same time. In the remaining 6 years before her triumph, May voted with one hand for the legalization of same-sex marriage, and with the other for a ban on gay couples adopting children; opposed leaving the European Union and at the same time opposed further integration of Great Britain into the EU. May's ambiguity as a politician was also expressed in the fact that, being a supporter of Cameron on Brexit, she immediately nominated herself for the post of head of the ruling Conservative Party as soon as it became clear that Cameron was resigning. “Brexit means Brexit,” Theresa May said then. Obviously, despite her personal beliefs, she could not miss her, perhaps, the first and last chance to realize her lifelong dream. Let it be as the second female prime minister in British history.

Personal life

The Prime Minister's colleagues say that it is absolutely impossible to make friends with Teresa. She is a typical introvert, has a hard time getting along with people and hates public speaking, preferring to do it only when absolutely necessary (perhaps the whole point is that she is simply bad at speaking, read: “How to fail a public speaking: a visual aid from Teresa May"). Former UKIP leader Nigel Farage said May was “made of marble”. However, her relatives do not agree with this definition and note that if you manage to win her trust, you will get a truly loyal friend who will never weave intrigues behind your back. One of those who managed to win over the unapproachable Teresa was her husband, Philip May, whom the woman now calls her most faithful friend and stone wall.

Theresa May is a happy wife. They met their husband Philip back in 1976, at the Oxford Union discussion club, from which many of the country's political leaders emerged. There is a legend that the couple was introduced at a Conservative Party dance party by the future Prime Minister of Pakistan, Benazir Bhutto. Three years later, in 1980, the lovers got married, and since then they have been living in perfect harmony for thirty-six years. True, Teresa and Philip have no children. To all questions, the new British Prime Minister evasively answers that every family has its own difficulties, but this does not mean that life cannot go on.

There is another problem in the May family - several years ago doctors gave Teresa an unpleasant diagnosis: diabetes. The disease forces her to constantly be under the supervision of doctors, and also to take insulin injections twice a day. However, according to Teresa, she has already gotten used to this annoying nuisance, and the disease has not affected her work for a long time.

For her beloved husband, Teresa is not at all a politician who has reached the peak of her career. At home, the inflexible May becomes an affectionate wife and, moreover, a real queen of the kitchen. Yes, yes, the newly-crowned Prime Minister loves to cook. As she admitted in one of the interviews that May now gives regularly, she has about a hundred cookbooks at home. And in her free time from politics and cooking, Teresa prefers to go to the mountains, throwing her backpack over her shoulders, preferably to the songs of ABBA and the music of Mozart.

Style

Theresa May's style is already legendary. Some call its taste impeccable, others close their eyes in horror. One way or another, the inimitable and highly original style of the new prime minister undoubtedly deserves attention. Especially her love for shoes. In the fall, the new British Prime Minister turned 61, but age did not at all affect the beauty of her slender legs, which Teresa emphasizes in every possible way with unusual shoes. There are no forbidden models for her: leopard-print pumps, snakeskin over-the-knee boots, shoes with large rhinestones and prints, even multi-colored rubber boots.

The reason for new conversations was the audience scheduled for Teresa with Elizabeth II, where May appeared in an elegant black and yellow suit and those same leopard-print pumps. However, the queen took this calmly, probably because Teresa had previously appeared in her apartment in patent leather boots.

What today

Mrs. May has held her enviable post for a year and a half, and during this time she has managed to become as frequent a guest on the pages of the world press as Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump, Emmanuel Macron or Angela Merkel. It’s not surprising: the new prime minister inherited not only the ambiguous legacy of Cameron’s rule, but also the new global political environment - first of all, the election of the freak Trump as US President, the overt ambition to gain leadership in the EU on the part of the French leader Macron, and, of course, the suddenly discovered “Russian trace” "in the Brexit referendum.

How does Teresa cope with these challenges? Well, the British themselves are not yet too impressed with the successes of their new leader. London has already cleared its main streets several times for May's opponents, who continue to criticize the prime minister for tightening taxes and for canceling tax breaks for a third child (which looks a little strange, given that the national pride of the British, the Duchess, is currently expecting a third child Cambridge), for job cuts and other internal decisions of her cabinet. The dissatisfaction of the population logically resulted in the fact that Mrs. May was re-elected for her second term, to put it mildly, with difficulty - she had to make a deal with an outside party. Moreover, negotiations with the Democratic Unionist Party also did not go very smoothly: they say that Teresa even had to lie to Her Majesty that she had everything ready in order to receive her cherished mandate.

However, it seems that all these difficulties in her post are just a test of time. After all, even the legendary Thatcher at one time had to face powerful protests from both ordinary Britons and her fellow party members. Well, we can only hope that Teresa will not, following her example, regain her popularity through military actions in the distant overseas British territories.