Farewell to Theresa May: a PM consumed by Brexit
Maidenhead MP standing down at next general election

Even when Theresa May was in office, she seemed of the past, said Robert Colvile in The Sunday Times: the cricket-loving vicar's daughter who'd met her husband at a Tory disco. And after leaving No. 10, there were no "moneygrubbing entanglements" for this former PM. It was typical of May, that when she revealed last week that she will stand down as an MP at the next election (along with at least 60 other Tories), it was to her local paper in Maidenhead; and the tributes that followed made much of her dedication to public service. Yet to recall May as "a Malory Towers head girl" who somehow ended up in No. 10 is to miss "so much about" this most "inscrutable" of politicians.
A changed party
That May is now being lauded for her virtue and moderation merely reflects how far her party has moved since then, said John Oxley on UnHerd – because in office, she was "no centrist darling". As home secretary, she launched the "hostile environment" policy, with its "Go Home" vans. On arrival in Downing Street she promised to tackle "burning injustices", as part of her efforts to set herself apart from her predecessors, but she bungled her goals. She threw away the Tories' majority with her failed 2017 election gambit, setting the stage for years of Brexit deadlock; and she exacerbated post-Brexit divisions, with her talk about "citizens of nowhere".
A clear sense of duty
May set a good example by serving her constituents for five years after being forced from office, said Charles Moore in The Daily Telegraph – unlike David Cameron and Boris Johnson, who resigned, making it look as if they'd only been MPs for what they could get from it. But she was a bad PM: mistrustful, closed, controlling, uninspiring. It is regrettable that she was ever elected leader, in the political chaos that followed the Brexit result. Although she was a Remainer, she had "astutely sat out the referendum dance", and was thus able to scoop up votes from both sides; but instead of pushing for a real Brexit, she then sought an unsustainable compromise.
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.
Actually, her soft Brexit reflected the will of the people "as expressed in the narrow vote to leave the EU", said The Independent. But she found herself trapped between hard Brexiteers and Remainers seeking to force a second referendum. Consumed by Brexit, she left office with few achievements, save for the work she did to tackle modern slavery, and the setting of Britain's net-zero target. But she will be remembered as a hard-working MP, with a clear sense of duty. With cynicism about politicians growing, we need more like her – in office, and perhaps even, in "less tumultuous times", in Downing Street.
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
-
What does 'conquering' Gaza mean to Israel?
Today's Big Question Benjamin Netanyahu's cabinet has approved a plan to displace much of the Palestinian population while seizing and occupying the territory on a long-term basis.
-
Casey Means: the controversial 'wellness influencer' nominated for surgeon general
In the Spotlight Means has drawn controversy for her closeness to RFK Jr.
-
Trump taps Fox News' Pirro for DC attorney post
speed read The president has named Fox News host Jeanine Pirro to be the top federal prosecutor for Washington, replacing acting US Attorney Ed Martin
-
How does the Alien Enemies Act work?
Feature President Trump is using a long-dormant law to deport Venezuelans. How does it work?
-
Baby bonus: Can Trump boost the birth rate?
Feature The Trump administration is encouraging Americans to have more babies while also cutting funding for maternal and postpartum care
-
Musk: What did he accomplish with DOGE?
Feature The billionaire steps back from DOGE after slashing federal jobs and services
-
Deportations ensnare migrant families, U.S. citizens
Feature Trump's deportation crackdown is sweeping up more than just immigrants as ICE targets citizens, judges and nursing mothers
-
Trump shrugs off warnings over trade war costs
Feature Trump's tariffs are spiraling the U.S. toward an economic crisis as shipments slow down—and China doesn't plan to back down
-
Is the UK's two-party system finally over?
Today's Big Question 'Unprecedented fragmentation puts voters on a collision course with the electoral system'
-
A 'meltdown' at Hegseth's Pentagon
Feature The Defense Secretary is fighting to keep his job amid leaked Signal chats and staff turmoil
-
Reining in Iran: Talks instead of bombs
Feature Trump edges closer to a nuclear deal with Iran—but is it too similar to former President Barack Obama's pact?