She promised to lead a “one-nation” government dedicated to social justice and making “Britain a country that works for everyone”. “And I know because we’re Great Britain that we will rise to the challenge”, she told reporters, flanked by her husband, Philip.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin said he was ready for “constructive dialogue” with Britain’s new premier, while White House spokesman Josh Earnest said U.S. officials who had worked with May “found her to be quite effective”.
May will be Britain’s second female prime minister, following in the footsteps of Margaret Thatcher, her fellow Conservative with whom she has inevitably been compared.
With his family by his side during his farewell statement outside No 10, the outgoing Prime Minister paid tribute to his wife Samantha, describing her as “the love of my life” who had “kept me vaguely sane”. Cameron had put the referendum on the table in an effort to remain as prime minister previous year.
He has arrived at Buckingham Palace to personally tender his resignation to the Queen and recommend that new leader of the Conservative Party Theresa May be allowed to form a government.
May’s job for the past six years, home secretary, is viewed as one of the hardest jobs in government which has wrecked a string of other political careers.
She also stood firm on her promise that Brexit means Brexit.
Owen Smith has set out his stall for the Labour leadership by saying he would offer the public a second referendum to ratify any Brexit deal Britain strikes with the EU.
Canada’s PM Justin Trudeau said: “On behalf of the Government of Canada, I would like to extend my warm congratulations to the United Kingdom’s new Prime Minister, Theresa May”. “I think she’s a cautious person, and the British political establishment needs to come to terms with this massive decision”.
The past few weeks have been dramatic ones in British politics, with Brexit setting off a domino effect of politicians falling by the wayside – Cameron resigned, allies stabbed likely successor Boris Johnson “in the back”, and leadership contender Leadsom threw in the towel amid controversial comments on motherhood.
Cameron said being prime minister has been the “greatest honour of my life” in his final remarks.
On July 13, David Cameron stepped down as Britain’s Prime Minister, handing over the reins to Theresa May. “We will do everything we can to help anybody, whatever your background, to go as far as your talents will take you”, May said, in language more often used by left-of-center politicians, rather than by members of the center-right Conservative Party. Cameron concluded the session with a brief speech and walked out of the House among a standing ovation from his colleagues.
“The composition of the new cabinet [under May] shows that it has less to do with the future of the country than it does with the ensuring the cohesion within the Tory party”, Schulz said in an interview with German newspaper “Süddeutsche Zeitung”, to be published on Friday.
May is the 13th prime minister to serve this queen – the first was Winston Churchill – and her task is more formidable than that of most of her predecessors.
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So Britain will move ahead with the plan to leave the EU following the referendum, which saw 48 per cent of the voters not in favour of leaving the 28-nation union.
