But that future now belongs to May, and it involves instability, uncertainty and tough wrangling over Britain’s departure from the European Union.
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Hammond acknowledged that investment in Britain had been shaken since the referendum result. Several senior figures in the former government of David Cameron have been fired as May puts her stamp on the government.
May also paid tribute to her predecessor, David Cameron, saying he had been “a great modern prime minister”.
“Brexiteers” Chris Grayling and Priti Patel won cabinet jobs in a sign of May’s intent to unite the divided governing body and show that, despite having favoured the losing Remain side, she will implement the instructions of the electorate.
“Following the referendum, we face a time of great national change”, May said.
“I think around the cabinet table yesterday the feeling was that we have our Angela Merkel”, said Jeremy Hunt, health secretary in Cameron’s team which met for the last time on Tuesday.
The political disarray caused by the Brexit vote has also sparked a leadership challenge in the main opposition Labour Party.
“When it comes to opportunity we won’t entrench the advantages of the fortunate few. 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.
‘The fact that she did this in the midst of critically important preparations before taking up office is a reflection of her strong desire to keep to her commitments and the esteem in which she holds the British Jewish community.
Prominent conservatives who campaigned to get Britain out of the European Union were given the task of seeing the job through, starting with former London Mayor Boris Johnson, who was named foreign secretary, in the day’s most surprising move.
Frank-Walter Steinmeier has previously criticized Johnson and other leading backers of Britain’s exit from the EU.
Gone were Cameron allies including ex-Treasury chief George Osborne, Cameron’s friend and neighbour and like him the product of an elite private school. She rewarded Johnson with the plum job of foreign secretary.
A new post called Brexit Secretary was created for Euro skeptic David Davis. That key job went to veteran Conservative lawmaker David Davis – a longstanding advocate of leaving the European Union – and he will lead at least two years of negotiations with the bloc.
On Thursday she followed up by removing the justice, education, culture and cabinet office ministers.
Outside Downing Street, a group of demonstrators chanted: ‘What do we want?
He thanked his children, Nancy, Elwen and Florence; his wife; and all who supported him.
‘Last night, on the eve of her becoming Prime Minister, Theresa May kept a long-standing arrangement to join Valerie and me at our home for dinner.
Minutes later, the palace released a photo of May curtseying to the monarch and confirmed that the queen had “requested her to form a new administration”.
May has been Britain’s Home Secretary in charge of immigration and law and order for the past six years.
Johnson was the figurehead of the successful Leave campaign, but since the referendum had suffered widespread criticism and ridicule for failing to present a clear Brexit plan and swiftly dropping out of the leadership race.
Not all believe her.
The United States congratulated May and said it was confident in her ability to steer Britain through the Brexit negotiations.
European Union leaders, still reeling from Britain’s decision to become the first country to leave the bloc in its 60-year history, pressed May for a quick divorce. “London provides a crucial financial service”, he said.
“I have experienced a man who is serious, who is a fan of no-nonsense policy and who was delivering at each and every moment when things started to become serious”, Juncker said. She was a preacher before a parliamentarian, a Christian before a Conservative, and always convinced that political problems had spiritual roots.
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Work and pensions minister Stephen Crabb, who had also sought the prime minister’s job, resigned citing family reasons, days after hitting front pages for allegedly sending flirtatious messages to a young woman despite being married.
