Theresa May Says She Won't Run for Reelection

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Facts

  • Former UK Prime Minister Theresa May, 67, revealed that she will be standing down as a member of parliament, telling her local newspaper, the Maidenhead Advertiser, that she will not be running for re-election in this year’s upcoming election.1
  • May has represented Maidenhead in parliament since 1997, and she made the 'difficult decision' to step away from politics so that she can 'champion causes close to [her] heart including most recently launching a Global Commission on Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking.'2
  • May became Prime Minister after Lord David Cameron resigned following the 2016 Brexit vote. Her tenure was controversial amid Brexit, and her decision to call a surprise snap election in 2017 resulted in her Conservative Party's loss of majority in the parliament.3
  • While she was able to maintain her premiership thanks to a deal with Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), she had lost significant support in her party. Her plan for leaving the EU conflicted with many Tories, and she resigned from Downing Street in 2019.4
  • She served as Lord Cameron’s home secretary from 2010-2016, and unlike many former prime ministers, she continued serving as a lawmaker after stepping down. She is one of 64 Conservatives to not run for re-election in the upcoming election.5
  • In a statement, May said that she would work with her successor 'to secure a Conservative victory in Maidenhead' while voicing her support for Sunak. UK politicians released statements paying respect to May for her years of public service to Maidenhead and the UK.6

Sources: 1Associated Press, 2Maidenhead Advertiser, 3Independent, 4BBC News, 5ABC News and 6Guardian.

Narratives

  • Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by Times. Theresa May exhibited everything one would want in a representative, and she selflessly served Maidenhead and the UK for nearly three decades, however, her diligence and grace were not enough for the detractors who sought to tear her down. May's cerebral and nuanced views made her an exceptionally effective politician, but it also hurt her status among the more populist members of her party. Through no fault of her own, May's premiership was unsuccessful, but she will be remembered as a pioneer and revered leader in the history books.
  • Progressive narrative, as provided by UnHerd. For decades, Theresa May represented the far-right underbelly of UK politics, stoking fear and division in the country. Now, she's trying to expunge her record as a divisive leader, and she's using the radical rightward shift of the Tories to paint herself as a moderate. Compared to her three successors, May might be slightly less egregious, but she cannot escape her many failures. Maybe her goodwill tour is out of sincerity, but it could also be motivated by a desire to clean up her image.
  • Conservative narrative, as provided by The Telegraph. In no way, shape, or form can Theresa May be considered a true conservative, and she's responsible for the impending doom awaiting the Tories in this year's election. May was unable to unite Conservatives and often tiptoed around necessary action regarding Brexit and other pressing issues. While circumstance did not do May any favors, her inaction and lack of decisiveness doomed her premiership from the start. Theresa May may have had good intentions, but she failed as prime minister and has set the Conservatives back many years.

Predictions