The tributes are pouring in for Theresa May after the former prime minister announced that she will be stepping down at the next election. In a statement in the Maidenhead Advertiser, her local paper, May reiterated her support for Rishi Sunak and said she was leaving to spend more time on ‘causes close to my heart’ such as the fight against modern slavery. Sunak has in turn praised her as a ‘relentless campaigner’. May’s former chief of staff Gavin Barwell has said that future prime ministers should follow her example by remaining in parliament for a time as a backbencher following a period in No. 10.

May’s decision to step down adds to a growing sense that the party is bracing for defeat

As we discuss on the latest Coffee House Shots podcast, May has handled her post-prime ministerial career better than some of her predecessors – particularly David Cameron. Cameron is now attempting a reset of his post-No. 10 career with a stint in the Foreign Office. He floundered on first leaving the Commons, getting tangled up in a lobbying scandal. By contrast, May is often cited as a former prime minister focussed on public service while still managing to make millions on the post-PM speaking circuit.

As for her legacy, Andrew Gimson makes the point on ConservativeHome that the public often finds it easier to praise politicians after they have left office. He is referring to the current Prime Minister, arguing that ‘voters may soon lament that we no longer have at the head of affairs a man with a transcendent ability to master any complicated subject, and to work out the least bad way to proceed’.

Given the current polling, such a sentiment may be hard to believe. But Theresa May is evidence that reputations can improve after leaving frontline politics.

QOSHE - What May’s departure reveals about the Tory party - Katy Balls
menu_open
Columnists Actual . Favourites . Archive
We use cookies to provide some features and experiences in QOSHE

More information  .  Close
Aa Aa Aa
- A +

What May’s departure reveals about the Tory party

8 1
08.03.2024

The tributes are pouring in for Theresa May after the former prime minister announced that she will be stepping down at the next election. In a statement in the Maidenhead Advertiser, her local paper, May reiterated her support for Rishi Sunak and said she was leaving to spend more time on ‘causes close to my heart’ such as the fight against modern slavery. Sunak has in turn praised her as a ‘relentless campaigner’. May’s former........

© The Spectator


Get it on Google Play