Theresa May will be Prime Minister of the UK by Wednesday evening.
Following the Prime Minister's announcement that he will formally step down after Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday, Theresa May will become this country’s new Prime Minister. In a speech yesterday morning, Mrs May hinted at some key themes which will be likely to define her premiership.
The most prominent of the pledges is that ‘’Brexit means Brexit.’’ May was a subdued Remain campaigner, but has gone to great lengths to demonstrate her commitment to leaving the EU. This includes no attempts to remain a member, no ‘’backdoor membership through the Single Market’’, and no second referendum. This effectively rules out the free movement of people, which some believed would continue to apply to Britain.
In contrast to this hawkish approach to the EU, May has laid the foundation for a one-nation brand of domestic Conservatism, continuing Cameron’s agenda, and in some places going further. May’s proposals to introduce worker representation on company boards and crack down on pay for the most senior executives wouldn’t be out of place in a Labour manifesto. As these commitments offer continuity from Cameron’s Life Chances agenda which won a shock majority at the last election, May might be able to fend off calls from Labour for an early General Election.
May has promised to tackle the economic problems which have plagued Governments before her, including poor productivity and redistribution of growth away from London. Connecting ordinary working people with economic growth has been a constant feature of her short but ultimately successful campaign. She has promised to place the Government at the service of working people, and clearly respond to the call for change that the Referendum result delivered.
May will already be in talks regarding her Cabinet, which is likely to be formally announced before the weekend. May has proposed a conciliatory Cabinet with the best of Leave and Remain represented, including a Cabinet-level Secretary of State for Brexit negotiations. May’s message has thus far been "steady as she goes", and so she will look to deliver on her agenda without ruffling too many feathers in the Tory backbenches. There is an important vote on Trident renewal scheduled for next week – an early chance to expose Labour’s deep divisions – May will want to hit the ground running in the business of Government.
Here's all you need to know about Theresa May's path to No.10.
