Ms May said: “My party is the Conservative and Unionist Party and that word unionist is very important to me”.
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Cameron used his final day in office to try to stake a claim on a legacy beyond his status as the prime minister who by gambling on a referendum took Britain out of the EU.
Britain’s Home Secretary Theresa May waves towards the media as she arrives to attend a cabinet meeting at 10 Downing Street, in London, Tuesday, July 12, 2016.
“Following the referendum we face a time of great national change”, the 59-year-old told reporters, flanked by her banker husband, Philip.
He posed for images in front the shiny black door, waved, and embarked on the brief trip to the palace.
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”.
Hammond, who believes in prudent public finances, had been fiercly critical of the European Union in the past but backed Britain’s membership in the referendum campaign.
May herself had sided with Cameron in trying to keep Britain inside the European Union, so needed to reach out to the winning Leave side in order to heal divisions in the ruling party and show her commitment to respecting the popular vote. De Maiziere said in Berlin on Wednesday: “She is a smart woman – thoughtful, disciplined, competent, strong in negotiations. and critical too, but reliable and credible”.
“We will rise to the challenge”.
May had a phone calls late Wednesday with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Francois Hollande and Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny. His wife Samantha and their children were in the public gallery.
The Queen has subsequently invited Mrs Theresa May to form a new government. But Juncker told reporters in Beijing that he had “no beef” with Cameron.
Johnson led the Brexit camp to victory, antagonising many European Union leaders in the process, but dismayed supporters by backing out of the race to succeed Cameron at the last minute. Cameron poked fun at the leadership turmoil going on in the Labour Party, telling Corbyn that the Tories have had “resignation, nomination, competition and coronation” while Labour is still working out its leadership rules.
He said he wanted to end speculation that “somehow I don’t love Larry”.
One of the set-piece occasions of parliament, prime minister’s questions is rough-and-tumble political theatre at its best – as Cameron himself recalled.
Queen Elizabeth II sees them come, and sees them go.
A government spokesperson later confirmed that Larry was staying put.
Whereas the USA presidential system allows departing leaders more than two months to extricate themselves from the White House, Cameron, wife Samantha and their three children, ages 5 to 12, have had barely a day to clear out their home of the past six years.
Meanwhile, Cameron added some spice to his last night as PM – with a curry delivered to Downing St.
May is expected to visit the queen shortly afterward to receive permission to form a government.
He found time to congratulate Wimbledon victor Andy Murray and other British players there, and rebuffed rumors that he does not like Downing St.’s resident cat, Larry “I do!”
Larry the cat livetweeted at Cameron during the PMQs.
The rescue tabby tomcat was brought in to catch rats and mice at the famous-but-infested residence, but his record of kills has been hotly disputed.
An account attributed to Larry also acknowledged the transition at 10 Downing Street, as did BBC journalist Jack Evans, who apparently got the scoop.
Theresa May’s Cabinet: Who’s in – and who’s out? Like Labour premier Tony Blair, he was a young leader who dragged his sometimes reluctant party.
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He says he would be a “radical and credible” leader. Cameron, who had campaigned for Britain to remain a part of the economic bloc, had announced he will be stepping down for a new PM to handle the Brexit negotiations. “It’s not been an easy journey, and of course we have not got every decision right, but I do believe that today our country is much stronger”.
