Sunday, 16 Jun 2024

May says Boris will 'deliver a bright future for the country' in her last PMQs

Theresa May defended her successor Boris Johnson as she answered MPs questions for the last time today.

Britain’s second female prime minister made her last appearance in the House of Commons for PMQs this afternoon before she officially hands over the keys to No 10 to Boris later today.

Labour MP Ruth Cadbury kicked of today’s PMQs by asking May how she feels about handing over to a successor who has ‘demonised Muslims’, ‘chucked’ public servants ‘under the bus’ and will ‘sell out’ the UK to ‘Donald Trump and his friends’.

May defended Johnson as a Conservative who will ‘deliver a bright future for the country’.

May also said she will be staying on as MP for Maidenhead.

The PM said she will continue with her duties from the back benches, adding: ‘This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others.

‘Following my duties in this House this afternoon I shall have an audience of Her Majesty the Queen.

‘I shall then continue with my duties in this House from the back benches where I will continue to be the member of parliament for Maidenhead.’

She will hold a farewell speech outside Downing Street this afternoon, before travelling to Buckingham Palace to tender her resignation.

The Queen will then meet Boris at the palace and invite him to form a new Government.

PMQ will take a break during summer recess, before Boris is set to make his debut in early September.

He is however, expected to address the Commons tomorrow on the last day before the break.

More to follow… 

Bye bye Theresa May: The Prime Minister’s career in pictures and videos

From the shoes, to the police and Brexit – Metro.co.uk remembers May’s career from Home Secretary to Prime Minister – and the moments she made us all laugh, cry, smile and wince.

Home Secretary May

May served as Home Secretary from 2010 to 2016 (Picture: PA)

When the coalition government was formed after the 2010 general election, May was appointed Home Secretary and Minister for Women and Equalities – which she gave up in 2012.

She served as Home Secretary after the Conservative victory in the 2015 general election, keeping the role longer than anyone in 60 years.

May pursued reform of the police, took a harder line on drug policy and introduced restrictions on immigration during her time in the Home Office.

She faced heavy backlash over the Windrush scandal and was forced to apologise for what commentators called the ‘hostile environment policy’.

May becomes Britain’s second female prime minister

Cameron brought an abrupt end to his six-year premiership saying he couldn’t lead Britain into Brexit after campaigning for Remain and losing the referendum.

May was elected as Conservative leader and became Britain’s second female prime minister after Margaret Tatcher.

She kicked off the process of withdrawing the UK from the European Union by triggering Article 50 in March 2017.

May went on to announce a snap general election in a bid to strengthen her position as prime minister, which she won – but with a minority government.

Theresa May took over after David Cameron led the failed Remain team in the referendum (Picture: AFP)

That time she showed boogied to Abba’s Dancing Queen

The time she came dancing into Abba’s hit song at the Conservative Party conference in November 2018 will be in our hearts forever, (despite Abba’s own Bjorn Ulvaeus calling her a lady ‘with not a lot of rhythm’.)

And wouldn’t stop dancing…

When she revealed the naughtiest thing she’s ever done…

Yes, we hoped and wanted a ‘dirty little secret’ from the PM, but May’s naughty confession was just as innocent as we should have expected from a woman whose favourite hobbies include NCIS, walking and cooking.

She said in December she and her friends used to ‘run through the fields of wheat’. Adding: ‘The farmers weren’t too pleased about that’.

The time she awkwardly searched for President Donald Trump’s hand

There have been a handful of noteworthy moments between May and the US president, but nothing beats the time she awkwardly searched for his hand at the Blenheim Palace reception.

We’re now just hoping there will be one last hand-holding incident between Trump and May when he visits the UK on June 3 – just four days before she exits No 10 for good.

May will still serve as Prime Minister when Trump visits the UK on June 3 (Picture: Getty Images)

The time she laughed like a Disney villain

May let her guard down and started convulsing Satanically in her seat as Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn spoke during the 2017 Budget reveal.

Maybe she was going for a jolly old Santa-style laugh, but it backfired massively and she revealed that she’s been possessed by Cthulu.

Philip Hammond came to her recuse as she lost her voice

Her throat was so bad she struggled to speak in parts of her hour-long address in Birmingham in 2017.

And as her coughing fit reached a crescendo, she almost spat out the water she had been desperately guzzling. It was so shocking Chancellor Philip Hammond felt moved to sprint on stage and offer her a cough sweet.

During that speech, Lee Nelson also tried to hand May a P45.

When she told a Tory conference ‘austerity is over’

When she asked if the ‘House wants to deliver Brexit’ and was met with loud ‘no’

May looking lonely and lost while meeting with EU leaders

She has done her very best to work with EU leaders on a Brexit deal and while she has always talked about their good discussions, she was caught a couple of times looking both lonely and lost alongside the big sharks of Europe.

The time Jeremy Corbyn appeared to call her ‘stupid woman’

He gravely denied it, but in this video it appears the Labour leader called May a ‘stupid woman’.

Bonus: May’s fashion statement

Margaret Thatcher will forever be remembered for her handbag, but May made a real fashion statement with her pumps, leopard heels and studded shoes.

Actually, we think May’s footwear has potentially won her the title of Britain’s most fashionable PM.

May has previously said it was ‘interesting’ that people focused on her shoes when asked whether the constant questions about her choice of footwear were sexist.

But in true Carrie Bradshaw style, May said the nation’s obsession with her shoes gave her the excuse to buy more pairs.

May said: ‘Do I regret the fact that people look at my shoes? Hey – it gives me an excuse to go and buy new shoes’ (Picture: PA)

May’s most iconic pair is arguably her leopard print kitten heels (Picture: PA)

Her footwear has been called a power statement (Picture: PA)

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