At the age of 12, Theresa May wanted to become a Member of Parliament (MP). She waited 31 years before she was elected MP for Maidenhead in 1999; she became the longest-serving home secretary in British history. She rose to prominence after the surprising result of Britain’s vote to leave the EU and, in a dramatic turn of events, became the UK’s second female prime minister. Rosa Prince gives a detailed account of one of the most powerful Conservative women in British politics today who is not as much enigmatic as she is super resilient.
Self-control is another of Theresa May’s qualities. When Andrea Leadsom informed May that she was pulling out of the leadership race, she asked May to keep the information confidential until she had made it public. May had given her word and for an hour and a half, she kept the news to herself, without breathing a word or displaying the slightest facial expression. She neither informed her husband, nor her closest aides that she was about to become Britain’s second woman prime minister. To understand how she was able to remain so remarkably calm, self-composed and in control, you need to go back in time and see how Theresa May, née Brasier was brought up.
At the time she declared her candidacy for the leadership of the Conservative Party in June 2016, May said: “I grew up the daughter of a local vicar and the granddaughter of a regimental sergeant major. Public service has been a part of who I am for as long as I can remember.”
From an early age, May has been aware of the important role her father played in the community and she always felt obliged to behave in a way that would please her father. Being an only child also exposed her to an adult world at an earlier stage. She often took part in her parents’ discussions about the state of the world and this undoubtedly developed her interest in politics.
In an interview with the BBC Radio 4 she said: “The reason I wanted to be a Member of Parliament, it can be summed up very simply, I wanted to make a difference. I wanted actually to be doing a job where I was making decisions that actually helped to improve people’s quality of life. It’s about making life better for people, I think that’s fundamentally what drives me to politics.”
At the age of 15, May entered the Wheatley Park Sixth Form where she studied for three A-levels and an S-level. Patsie Davies, who was her schoolmate, wrote a letter to The Guardian where she recalls how she and a certain Theresa Brasier were in the same class. “How we all sniggered when she announced to our form teacher Mr. Montgommery that she wanted to be prime minister. Well, we’re not sniggering now…” Davies said.
However, her first attempt to forge a political career was far from successful. Her history teacher set up a debating society and May was part of a group chosen to take part in the first debate. Although she felt confident at the time, when May picked up a piece of paper with the subject of her speech, she had a brain block and had nothing to say.
Later that year, May left for Oxford University where she met Philip May, the love of her life. Like many aspiring politicians who attend this prestigious university, she formed an influential circle of friends, including with Ian Duncan and Damian Green who would both serve her for the rest of her political career.
“I’ve known her since we were both 18. Theresa is perfectly good fun. She’s been a friend of mine for more than 40 years. The key to Theresa is what you see is what you get. Part of the secret of Theresa’s appeal is that there’s not a secret part of her character that the public doesn’t see. Everyone sees a hard-working, hugely intelligent, hugely conscientious woman, and that’s what she’s like. That’s what she’s always been like. She has no side,” said Damian Green in a July 13, 2016, interview with BBC News. A year after her marriage to Philip May, Theresa lost her father in a tragic car accident in October 1981 and a few months later, her mother succumbed to multiple sclerosis. This brought the couple even closer. Theresa May acknowledges the huge support she received from her husband whom she describes as “a real rock for me.”
Soon after moving to Wimbledon where they bought a house, the Mays joined the Young Conservatives. From thereon, May forged her plan to take the first step of a political career that would finally take her right up to 10 Downing Street. She succeeded on her first attempt and won a seat on Merton Council. She was not even 30 years old. But five years later, she had not made any progress; furthermore, after 13 years in power, it seemed almost certain that the Conservative Party would lose the elections. This thought only rekindled May’s desire to become an MP. The party selected for her a constituency where she was not expected to win rather to show her talents. It was considered a “rite of passage” before she would be given a winnable constituency.
“While she had never been expected to win, she helped ensure that the Conservative tally dropped by only 38 votes. At a time when the Conservative vote was falling nationally, it was an indication of how effective she had been as a campaigner,” writes Rosa Prince
Finally in 1995, she was chosen to fight the seat of Maidenhead at the general elections. She finally won but true to her character, she declared in an interview with the local paper that she will work hard and do her best to fulfill the expectations placed on her.
Her first decision was to buy a house in her new constituency. She decided to sell her house in Wimbledon and made Sonning, a beautiful village, her home. She was known to refuse to have her groceries delivered so she can meet people while doing her shopping. She also had her hair done at the local hairdresser and she even memorized the entire rail timetable for trains running between Maidenhead and London so when a new timetable came out, she would know if her constituents were getting a better or worse service.
“She was one of a number of the 1997 intake, including Eleanor Laing and Damian Green, who thanks to the Conservatives’ sheer lack of numbers following the election, were promoted to the front bench with dizzying speed,” wrote Rosa Prince.
About a year after she became a Member of Parliament, she was appointed first as a junior member of the shadow education and employment team by William Hague, who was the leader of the Conservative Party. Two years later, she would become the shadow secretary of state for education and employment.
Battling a challenging schedule, unpredictable hours and forced to eat most of her meals away from home, May realized she had to lead a healthy lifestyle. She hired a personal trainer and exercised several times a week at a gym near her home. May has never hidden her interest in clothes, and shoes in particular. In an Oct. 9, 2015, interview with the Guardian, she admitted, “You can be clever and like clothes, you can have a career and like clothes.”
Over the following years, May’s shoes, however, became a regular fixture in the parliamentary life. And when she gave her famous “nasty speech” at the 2001 Conservative conference, her choice of leopard skin kitten heels galvanized the attention.
Female politicians are continuously scrutinized for the way they dress. A recent meeting between May and Nicola Sturgeon made the “Legs it,” headline on the front page of The Daily Mail. Jo Ellison in her excellent column for the Financial Times rightly said: “Even when women dress the part, even when they wear all the right things and conform to every boring stereotype, they will get stripped bare in the end,” by both men and women from all walks of life.
May’s breakthrough came on May 12, 2010. When David Cameron appointed her home secretary, she told Andy Coulson, the communication director, “I can’t quite believe it” and probably for the very first time she showed her feelings. It was indeed a surprise for her because she had never been appointed shadow home secretary.
Three years later, her visible weight loss (she went from wearing size 14 to 10) sparked rumors and speculation. Theresa May was eventually diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. In an interview with Liz Anderson for the Mail on Sunday, she declared that this would not affect in any way her ability to do her job.
David Cameron’s decision to hold a referendum on Britain’s membership of the EU paved the way for May to become the next leader of the Conservative Party. George Osborne, Former Chancellor of the Exchequer, clearly understood what was at stake; he pressed Cameron not to go ahead with the referendum as this would divide the Conservative Party. His beliefs proved to be right. Cameron’s remaining camp lost and his subsequent resignation put an abrupt end to Osborne’s ambitions of becoming the next Conservative Party leader.
Theresa May beckoned the opportunity and on June 24, 2016, announced her candidacy for the leadership of the Conservative Party: “My pitch is very simple. I’m Theresa May and I think I’m the best person to be prime minister of this country.” On June 30, in an astonishing turn of events, Michael Gove, secretary of state for justice, explained in a statement that “Boris Johnson cannot provide the leadership or build the team for the task ahead. I have therefore decided to put my name forward for the leadership.”
Gove had not realized that this blatant act of treason had virtually killed off his prospective chances of winning the highest office. The rest is history. On Monday, July 11, 2016, Theresa May became prime minister. In her first speech to the country, she said: “The government I lead will be driven not by the interest of the privileged few but by yours. We will do everything we can to give you more control of your lives. When we take the big calls, we will think not of the powerful, but you.”
May promised to serve, something she was taught to do from a very young age. She also proved that she was very much in control. She surprised everybody by appointing Boris Johnson foreign secretary. It took her less than two minutes to inform Michael Gove: “There is not going to be room for you.” And she also showed her noble-heartedness when she invited Andrea Leadsom to become energy secretary.
After you read this detailed biography, May no longer appears as the enigmatic prime minister. This is a very human portrait of a woman who was brought up with the concept of serving the community and helping people in need. Rosa Prince has produced an extremely well-researched account of the rise of a woman who had to fight her way right to the top: “I know I’m not a showy politician … I don’t wear my heart on my sleeve. I just get on with the job in front of me and you can judge me by my record.” So far, Theresa May is doing just that.
Book Review: No one is sniggering at Theresa May now
Book Review: No one is sniggering at Theresa May now
