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This fact was correct when it was updated on 01 Jul 2021

Who is Theresa May?

Theresa May was the Prime Minister of the UK and leader of the Conservative Party from July 2016 to July 2019. She has been MP for Maidenhead since 1997. She was Home Secretary under David Cameron between 2010 and 2016. During the EU referendum, she expressed her support for remaining in the EU, but as Prime Minister was determined to deliver Brexit. She made significant speeches setting out the sort of Brexit she wanted at Lancaster House, Florence and Mansion House and finally set out her vision for the future relationship in a white paper following a Cabinet meeting at Chequers. She was forced to stand down after the Commons repeatedly rejected the Withdrawal Agreement she negotiated.

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