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.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
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
-
5 high-caliber cartoons about Kristi Noem shooting her puppy
Cartoons Artists take on the rainbow bridge, a farm upstate, and more
By The Week US Published
-
The Week Unwrapped: Why is the world running low on blood?
Podcast Scientists believe universal donor blood is within reach – plus, the row over an immersive D-Day simulation, and an Ozempic faux pas
By The Week Staff Published
-
Rishi Sunak's asylum spat with Ireland explained
In Depth Irish government plans to override court ruling that the UK is unsafe for asylum seekers
By The Week UK Published
-
Rishi Sunak's asylum spat with Ireland explained
In Depth Irish government plans to override court ruling that the UK is unsafe for asylum seekers
By The Week UK Published
-
Coming to America
Opinion Why the melting pot should be a source of national pride
By Theunis Bates Published
-
Sudan's year of civil war: 'the world has turned its back'
Talking Point Fractured state has 'essentially collapsed' as conflict between rival militias stretches on
By The Week UK Published
-
India elections start amid violence, hate speech accusations
Talking Points Narendra Modi seeks a third term while critics worry about the future of the country's democracy
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
Sitting in judgment on Trump
Opinion Who'd want to be on this jury?
By Susan Caskie Published
-
Mark Menzies: Tories investigate MP after 'bad people' cash claims
Speed Read Fylde MP will sit as an independent while party looks into allegations he misused campaign funds on medical expenses and blackmail pay-out
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published
-
Israel's war is America's, too
Opinion 'Death to America' and 'Death to Israel' are just different slogans for the same hatred
By Mark Gimein Published
-
Is David Cameron overshadowing Rishi Sunak?
Talking Point Current PM faces 'thorny dilemma' as predecessor enjoys return to world stage
By The Week UK Published