Monarch Elizabeth II Preceded by Samantha Cameron Political party Conservative Spouse Theresa May (m. 1980) Party Conservative Party | Prime Minister Theresa May Full Name Philip John May Religion Church of England Education Lincoln College, Oxford Parents Joy May, John May | |
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Alma mater Lincoln College, Oxford Residence 10 Downing Street, London, United Kingdom Similar Theresa May, Denis Thatcher, Andrea Leadsom, Samantha Cameron, Philip Hammond | ||
Philip John May (born September 1957) is a British investment relationship manager, and the husband of Theresa May, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He is the second husband of a British prime minister after Denis Thatcher.
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Early life and education
May was born in Norwich, Norfolk and grew up near Liverpool, attending Calday Grange Grammar School in West Kirby. His parents were John May and Joy May (née Miller), a sales representative for a shoe wholesaler and a teacher of the French language, respectively.
May attended university at Lincoln College of the University of Oxford, graduating with a degree in history. He served as the Oxford Union Society's President during 1979. In this role he took over from future Conservative MP Alan Duncan and was succeeded by future journalist Michael Crick.
Career
May has worked in finance since graduating from university. As of 2016, he has been employed by the financial group Capital International as a relationship manager for more than ten years; he had previously been a fund manager for de Zoete & Bevan, Prudential Portfolio Managers and Deutsche Asset Management. His former LinkedIn profile listed his focuses in work as pension fund and insurance relationship management.
After his wife Theresa May, now the British Prime Minister, emerged as the only remaining candidate for the Conservative party leadership, his employer issued a statement saying that his current job does not make him responsible for investment decisions: "he is not involved with, and doesn't manage, money and is not a portfolio manager. His job is to ensure the clients are happy with the service and that we understand their goals."
May briefly served as chairman of the local Conservative Party association in Wimbledon before reportedly deciding to concentrate on his career in finance. As May's spouse, he has avoided giving interviews or making public statements.
Personal life
May and his wife, then known as Theresa Brasier, met while students at Oxford University; they were introduced by future Prime Minister of Pakistan Benazir Bhutto at a Conservative Party student disco. They later bonded over a shared love of cricket, and married on 6 September 1980.
Theresa May has stated her regret that, for health reasons, she and Philip have not been able to have children; she said in one interview that, "You look at families all the time and you see there is something there that you don't have".