Theresa May Facts & Worksheets

PERSONAL LIFE

• May has been married to Sir Philip May, an investment relationship manager, since 6 September 1980. They reportedly met at Oxford University, introduced by former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. The couple does not have children.
• The Mays enjoy walking and hiking, often spending holidays in the Swiss Alps. Theresa May is also a cricket fan, with Sir Geoffrey Boycott being one of her sporting heroes. She enjoys cooking and owns around 100 cookery books. They live in the Thames village of Sonning, which is within her former parliamentary constituency. May is also the first cousin once removed of Labour MP Alistair Strathern.
• May is a member of the Church of England and attends church regularly, usually at St Andrew’s in Sonning. Raised in the Anglo-Catholic tradition, she has said her Christian faith is part of who she is and influences how she approaches life and work.
• She is also known for her love of fashion, particularly distinctive shoes, such as the leopard-print shoes she wore at her 2002 “Nasty Party” speech and at her final Cabinet meeting as Home Secretary in 2016. On Desert Island Discs in 2014, she chose a subscription to Vogue as her luxury item. However, May has criticised the media for focusing too much on her fashion rather than her political work. In November 2012, May was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and manages it with daily insulin injections. 

POLITICAL CAREER OF THERESA MAY

Timeline of Theresa May’s Political Career:

• 1977 – Joined the Conservative Party
• 1986–1997 – Tried to become an MP, but was not elected
• 1997 – Elected MP for Maidenhead
• 1999–2002 – Shadow Secretary for Education and Employment
• 2002–2003 – Shadow Secretary for Transport
• 2003–2005 – Shadow Secretary for Environment
• 2005–2010 – Shadow Home Secretary
• 2010–2016 – Home Secretary, worked on immigration, policing, and crime
• 2016–2019 – Prime Minister, led Brexit negotiations and social policies
• 2019–2024 – Backbench MP for Maidenhead, spoke out on government issues
• 2024–present – Made a life peer (Baroness May), joined Yale as a fellow, considered for NATO role
• May began her political involvement at university by joining the Conservative Party. After leaving Oxford, she worked at the Bank of England from 1977 to 1983 and then as a financial consultant at the Association for Payment Clearing Services (APACS) from 1985 to 1997. There, she held roles such as Head of the European Affairs Unit and Senior Adviser on International Affairs. 
• She also gained experience in local politics, serving as a councillor for Durnsford ward in the London Borough of Merton from 1986 to 1994. She was Chair of Education and later Deputy Group Leader and Housing Spokesperson.
• Before entering Parliament, May stood unsuccessfully in a few elections. She ran in North West Durham in 1992 and Barking in 1994, coming second and third. In 1997, she was selected as the Conservative candidate for the new seat of Maidenhead and won even though the party suffered a major national defeat. 
• After becoming an MP, she quickly joined the Shadow Cabinet, working on education, disabled people’s issues, women’s rights, transport, family, culture, media, sports, and equality. In 2002, she became the first female Chair of the Conservative Party, giving a famous speech criticising the party’s negative image as the “Nasty Party” and calling for more women and minority representation. She was re-elected as MP for Maidenhead in 2010 with a larger majority.
• Following the 2010 general election, May was appointed Home Secretary and Minister for Women and Equalities by Prime Minister David Cameron. She became the fourth woman to hold one of the UK’s top government posts and the longest-serving Home Secretary in over 60 years. 
• As Home Secretary, she abolished the National Identity Card scheme, updated DNA and CCTV rules, handled national security incidents such as the Cumbria shootings, introduced policing reforms including the National Crime Agency, and passed the Investigatory Powers Act, sometimes called the Snooper’s Charter. 
• She also introduced the “hostile environment” policy to reduce illegal immigration, oversaw high-profile deportations, and faced criticism over family migration rules, the Windrush scandal, and delays in the Passport Office. She worked to reduce crime, banned the stimulant khat, and supported LGBT rights through the Equality Act 2010.

PREMIERSHIP OF THERESA MAY (2016–2019)

• May became Prime Minister on 13 July 2016, after David Cameron resigned following the Brexit referendum, where 52% of voters chose to leave the European Union. She was the UK’s second female Prime Minister and the first in the 21st century.
• Early in her time as Prime Minister, she stressed the importance of keeping the union between England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. She visited Scotland to meet First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and said the Scottish government would be involved in Brexit talks.