Prime Minister Theresa May: What are her views on key policies?
What the UK's new leader thinks about everything from immigration and the economy to gay rights, the environment and Brexit
Theresa May becomes the UK's Prime Minister today after her only remaining rival in the Tory leadership race, Andrea Leadsom, dropped out earlier this week.
David Cameron holds his final Prime Minister's Questions this afternoon and May will be in office by the evening.
Regarded as one of the party's more liberal high-profile figures, she describes herself as a "one-nation conservative". So what does she stand for and how has she voted in the past?
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Brexit
May officially supported the Remain camp, but says she accepts the vote of the people and that "Brexit is Brexit". She has vowed to be "bloody difficult" with EU bosses in negotiations and wants an "orderly" exit, pledging not to trigger Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty before the end of 2016.
Immigration
In 2010, her first year as Home Secretary, May pledged to bring net immigration down to less than 100,000. In 2015, it had reached 330,000. Earlier this year, she limited permanent non-EU immigration to people making more than £35,000 a year.
Education
May voted in favour of raising the tuition fee cap to £9,000 a year. However, she initially voted against introducing the fees.
Economy
May has consistently voted for cuts in welfare spending and supported the controversial "bedroom tax". She has also presided over huge budget cuts to the police service.
Foreign policy
May voted in favour of the interventions in Iraq in 2003 and for action in Syria in 2013 (which was vetoed) and again in 2015 (which went through). She wants to replace Trident with a new nuclear weapons system.
Gay rights
May voted in favour of same-sex marriage in 2013 but voted against gay adoption in 2002 and against the repeal of Section 28 in 2000.
Environment
May has voted against measures to prevent climate change and in favour of culling badgers.
Human rights
May has argued for the UK to withdraw from the European Convention on Human Rights, claiming it caused the delays to the extraditions and deportations of various extremists.
Surveillance
May is a keen supporter of the investigatory powers bill, known as the "snooper's charter", which seeks to extend the powers of state surveillance. Dr Gus Hosein, the executive director of Privacy International, believes the legislation will be pushed through once she is prime minister. "It is a sad reality that the referendum – where people declared they wanted more control over their lives – is going to result in the most draconian surveillance law in the democratic world," he told technology website Alphr.
Social mobility
At the launch of her leadership campaign earlier this week, May said she wanted to "make Britain a country that works not for a privileged few but for every single one of us", singling out the rise in VAT and how it had become harder for people to buy their own home. However, The Independent says May has consistently voted to raise VAT since 2010 and voted against building 100,000 affordable homes in 2013 and a ban on estate agents charging tenant fees the following year.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Why Bhutan hopes tourists will put a smile back on its face
Under The Radar The 'kingdom of happiness' is facing economic problems and unprecedented emigration
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
7 beautiful towns to visit in Switzerland during the holidays
The Week Recommends Find bliss in these charming Swiss locales that blend the traditional with the modern
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published
-
The Week contest: Werewolf bill
Puzzles and Quizzes
By The Week US Published
-
John Prescott: was he Labour's last link to the working class?
Today's Big Quesiton 'A total one-off': tributes have poured in for the former deputy PM and trade unionist
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Last hopes for justice for UK's nuclear test veterans
Under the Radar Thousands of ex-service personnel say their lives have been blighted by aggressive cancers and genetic mutations
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Will Donald Trump wreck the Brexit deal?
Today's Big Question President-elect's victory could help UK's reset with the EU, but a free-trade agreement with the US to dodge his threatened tariffs could hinder it
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
What is the next Tory leader up against?
Today's Big Question Kemi Badenoch or Robert Jenrick will have to unify warring factions and win back disillusioned voters – without alienating the centre ground
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
What is Lammy hoping to achieve in China?
Today's Big Question Foreign secretary heads to Beijing as Labour seeks cooperation on global challenges and courts opportunities for trade and investment
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Who will replace Rishi Sunak as the next Tory leader?
In Depth Shortlist will be whittled down to two later today
By The Week UK Last updated
-
Is Britain about to 'boil over'?
Today's Big Question A message shared across far-right groups listed more than 30 potential targets for violence in the UK today
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
UK's Starmer slams 'far-right thuggery' at riots
Speed Read The anti-immigrant violence was spurred by false rumors that the suspect in the Southport knife attack was an immigrant
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published