Premiership of Theresa May

Leadership election

In a referendum held on 23 June 2016, Britain voted to withdraw from the European Union, with a result of 52% for withdrawal and 48% for remaining within the union. David Cameron, who as prime minister had campaigned to remain within the European Union, announced on 24 June 2016, immediately following the announcement of the referendum results, that he would resign from his post. Following the first stages of a Conservative Party leadership election, Home Secretary Theresa May's only remaining competitor, Andrea Leadsom, withdrew from the race on 11 July 2016. Following this announcement, David Cameron said that he would step down from his post on 13 July. Cameron formally tendered his resignation to Queen Elizabeth II on that day, who subsequently appointed Theresa May as his successor.

Early days

After being appointed by Queen Elizabeth II on 13 July 2016, May became the United Kingdom's second female Prime Minister, after Margaret Thatcher, and the first female UK Prime Minister of the 21st century. May told the media on 11 July 2016 that she was "honoured and humbled" to be the party leader and to become prime minister.

Responding to some calls for a general election (reported by the news media) to confirm her mandate, "sources close to Mrs May" said there would be no such election, according to the BBC. In a speech after her appointment, May emphasised the term Unionist in the name of the Conservative Party, reminding all of "the precious, precious bond between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland." By 15 July 2016, May had traveled to Edinburgh, Scotland to meet with first minister Nicola Sturgeon, to reinforce the bond between Scotland and the rest of the country. "This visit to Scotland is my first as prime minister and I'm coming here to show my commitment to preserving this special union that has endured for centuries," she explained. After the meeting at Bute House, May offered the following comment about Scotland's role in the negotiations about the UK's exit from the EU. "I'm willing to listen to options and I've been very clear with the first minister today that I want the Scottish government to be fully engaged in our discussion."

In August 2016, May launched an investigation aimed at identifying and reducing racism in the public sector.

May will not trigger Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union to leave the EU until after 2016.

As part of the government's plan to curb childhood obesity, May took steps to reduce sugar content of foods though many experts feel that too little is being done. Notably there are widespread calls for curbing advertising of unhealthy foods to children and banning promotions of unhealthy food (such as multipacks and buy one get one free) in supermarkets, restaurants, cafes and take-aways.

Health Service

Consultation will start over cost saving, streamlining and reduction of some services in the National Health Service. Critics fear cuts that could put lives at risk though the review is about more than reducing costs. An article in The Guardian suggests possible benefits from the review but fears secrecy within the NHS is hindering effective public discussion. Liberal Democrat Norman Lamb accepted the review makes sense in principle but stated "While it is important that the NHS becomes more efficient and sustainable for future generations, redesign of care models will only get us so far – and no experts believe the Conservative doctrine that an extra £8bn funding by 2020 will be anywhere near enough."

David Cameron

In September 2016, David Cameron resigned as an MP, saying that he did not want to be a "distraction" for the new PM. Toby Helm wrote in The Observer in September 2016 that May is seen as less right wing than Cameron, but she is also seen as quite right wing by Rebecca Glover in The Independent, especially on immigration.

Grammar schools

In September 2016, May announced that she would end a ban on new grammar schools, the effect this could have on education is controversial and uncertain. A BBC article for example suggests grammar schools would be dumbed down while other secondary schools in the area would suffer. Jon Coles of United Learning, which runs 60 schools is unconvinced more grammar schools will raise standards. Poor children and children from families that are 'just about managing' tend to miss out on grammar school places. None of the top ten nations with the best education has UK style grammar schools selecting at age 11. The Royal Society commissioned research from the Education Policy Institute which shows disadvantaged pupils do worse overall in science and maths in regions with selective education. A cross party Select Committee of MP's described the issue of grammar school expansion as an unnecessary distraction, cast doubt on the claim grammar schools improve social mobility and many speakers emphasized the need to tackle funding problems affection the whole of schooling.

Child poverty

The 'Child Poverty Unit' has been merged with the 'Department of Work and Pensions' leading to fears that child poverty will be less of a priority under May. This runs counter to May's pledge to govern for everyone and fight the injustice of being born poor. In 2014–2015 28% of UK children were poor. The Child Poverty Action Group fears restricting the Child Poverty Unit to one department will reduce its effectiveness. The Institute for Fiscal Studies projects a 50% increase in child poverty by 2020 due to benefit cuts and 'sluggish wages'.

Ministerial appointments

May also appointed new Cabinet members, in "one of the most sweeping government reshuffles for decades" described as "a brutal cull" by The Telegraph since several prominent members, including six of Cameron's ministers, were removed from their posts. The early appointments were interpreted both as "centrist and conciliatory," an effort to reunite the party in the wake of the UK's vote to leave the European Union, and as "a shift to the right," according to The Guardian. Robert Peston of ITV News specifically labeled her new Cabinet as right wing.

May abolished the Department for Energy and Climate Change in a move widely criticised by Greenpeace which expressed concern the new government failed to see the threat from climate change, Friends of the Earth which said climate change is happening now while the new government lowers its priority, also by other more impartial people and groups. Climate change is included in the scope of a new Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

Upon becoming Prime Minister, May appointed former Mayor of London Boris Johnson to Foreign Secretary, former Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change Amber Rudd to Home Secretary, and former Shadow Home Secretary David Davis to the newly created office of "Brexit Secretary." Her choice of Boris Johnson for foreign secretary raised eyebrows, and drew some criticism from the press. Liam Fox and Philip Hammond, both of whom had previously served as Secretary of State for Defence (Fox in 2010–11 and Hammond in 2011–14), with Hammond having served as Foreign Secretary in 2014–16, were appointed to the newly created office of International Trade Secretary and Chancellor, respectively. Replacing Michael Gove, Elizabeth Truss was made Justice Secretary, the "first female Lord Chancellor in the thousand-year history of the role". Andrea Leadsom, who was energy minister and May's primary competitor for party leader, was made the new Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. However, former Northern Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers resigned from Cabinet after May offered her a post which was "not one which I felt I could take on".

May jointly appointed Fiona Hill and Nick Timothy on 14 July as her joint Downing Street Chief of Staffs. Both had been political advisers to her at the Home Office before both working outside the government for a brief period before coming to work on her leadership campaign. The three ministers with new roles who will negotiate the UK out of the EU had all espoused the Leave vote: David Davis, Brexit secretary, Liam Fox, overseas trade secretary and Boris Johnson, foreign secretary.

First overseas trips

On 20 July, May attended her first Prime Minister's Questions since taking office, then afterwards made her first overseas trip as prime minister, visiting Berlin for talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. During the visit, May said that she would not trigger Article 50 before 2017, suggesting it would take time for the UK to negotiate a "sensible and orderly departure" from the EU. May also announced that in the wake of the referendum, Britain would relinquish the presidency of the Council of the European Union that the UK had been scheduled to hold in the second half of 2017.

On 4 September, May attended the 2016 G20 Hangzhou summit, the first since the UK's withdrawal from the European Union. May sought to use the summit to emphasise her commitment to making the UK a "global leader in free trade" She also faced questions over the decision to delay planned Chinese investment in Hinkley Point C.

On 21 January 2017, following the inauguration of Donald Trump as US President, the White House announced that May would meet the President on 27 January, making her the first foreign leader to meet Trump since he took office on 20 January.

Foreign policy

The May Ministry delayed the final approval for the Hinkley Point C nuclear power station in July 2016, a project which May had objected to when she was Home Secretary. Her political adviser Nick Timothy wrote an article in 2015 to oppose People's Republic of China's involvement in sensitive sectors. He said that the government was "selling our national security to China" without rational concerns and "the Government seems intent on ignoring the evidence and presumably the advice of the security and intelligence agencies."

Politicians and human rights activists have been urging Theresa May's government to vote against Saudi Arabian retention of the membership of the UN Human Rights Council. Amnesty International’s UK Foreign Policy Programme Director Polly Truscott said: "Rather than turning a blind eye to Saudi Arabia’s continuing bully tactics, the UK should publicly hold the Saudi authorities to account for its appalling human rights record and the ongoing war crimes in Yemen and should stop selling weapons to Saudi as a matter of urgency."

Economic Policy and Austerity Programme

Prior to her premiership, May outlined plans to backtrack on the longstanding government plan to achieve a surplus by 2020, following the UK's withdrawal from the European Union. With uncertainty surrounding the economic outlook, Chancellor of the Exchequer Phillip Hammond has suggested that the government's Autumn Statement may be used to "reset" economic policy.

European Union

May has not given MPs a vote over the European Union despite in 2007 calling for MPs to have the right of veto over European talks. Nicky Morgan stated “in 2016 MPs aren’t asking for a veto but they do want a say and we hope the Prime Minister will remember her earlier words”. Anna Soubry and Nick Clegg also called for more parliamentary involvement. In November 2016, the High Court ruled in R (Miller) v Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union that parliament must vote on the decision to leave the EU but May appealed to the Supreme Court. Nicola Sturgeon, Scottish First Minister has joined the case as have representatives of Wales and Northern Ireland. Sturgeon feels the Scottish Parliament should also consent to the UK triggering of Article 50. She says she will not seek to prevent England and Wales leaving but wants to preserve Scotland's place in the EU. In the end the Supreme Court required a vote in the UK parliament.

May was accused of not having a plan if Brexit talks break down. There are fears if talks fail Britain could be left trading under WTO rules which it is feared would seriously damage jobs and livelihoods in Britain and Europe. May's ministers have repeatedly promised to walk away from a bad final deal but, it is argued, have no plans for how to manage without a deal.

Workers' representatives

In July 2016 May said that she planned to have workers represented on company boards, saying "If I’m prime minister ... we’re going to have not just consumers represented on company boards, but workers as well." May aimed to put workers' and consumers' representatives on boards to make them more accountable. Nils Pratley, a journalist at The Guardian, wrote in July "Fundamental principles of Britain’s boardroom governance are being rethought. It is a very welcome development. In the more enlightened quarters of the UK corporate world, they can see that boardroom pay has eroded trust in business." Workers' representatives it appeared, would have made UK companies more like those in Germany and France. May was accused of backtracking in November 2016 when she said that firms would not be forced to adopt the proposal, saying "there are a number of ways in which that can be achieved".

Response to Donald Trump's Muslim ban

Theresa May was strongly criticised in the United Kingdom by members of all major parties, including her own, for refusing to condemn Donald Trump's Executive Order 13769 (colloquially known as the "Muslim ban") as well as inviting Trump to a state visit with Queen Elizabeth II.

More than 1.8 million signed an official parliamentary e-petition which said that "Donald Trump's well documented misogyny and vulgarity disqualifies him from being received by Her Majesty the Queen or the Prince of Wales," and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said in Prime Minister's Questions (PMQs) that Trump should not be welcomed to Britain "while he abuses our shared values with his shameful Muslim ban and attacks on refugees' and women's rights" and said that Trump should be banned from the UK until the bar on Muslims entering the US is lifted. May responded by saying that "[Corbyn's] foreign policy is to object to and insult the democratically elected head of state of our most important ally. ... He can lead a protest, I'm leading a country."

Baroness Warsi, former chair of the Conservatives, accused May of "bowing down" to Trump, who she described as "a man who has no respect for women, disdain for minorities, little value for LGBT communities, no compassion clearly for the vulnerable and whose policies are rooted in divisive rhetoric." London Mayor Sadiq Khan and the Conservative leader in Scotland, Ruth Davidson, also called for the visit to be cancelled.

Executive pay

May is considering forcing companies to reveal the difference between what their CEO's are paid and what their ordinary workers are paid.