Many must have heaved a sigh of relief when Andrea Leadsom announced she is withdrawing from the Conservative Party leadership race. The markets certainly did; the sterling immediately surged in the wake of the announcement.

The doubts on her candidacy were evident. After struggling in her first major interview, many became aware she did not have the necessary skills to be prime minister, particularly during this difficult juncture in British constitutional and political development.

Her withdrawal effectively meant that Theresa May would become the next British Prime Minister.

In her speech, Leadsom stated that “a nine-week leadership campaign at such a critical moment for our country is highly undesirable”. Indeed, she is right. With the Conservative Party divided between ‘Remainers’ and ‘Leavers’, the Labour Party in disarray, the Liberal Democrats a spent force and the Scottish Nationalists gaining ground, the last thing Britain needed was nine more weeks of uncertainty and political drama.

There was nothing to be gained from a protracted campaign that wouldhave only served to further expose internal divisions.

Theresa May’s premiership will be an uphill struggle

May’s election may help to provide some much-needed leadership. It is now up to her to negotiate a settlement for the UK as it prepares to formally leave the European Union.

It relieves David Cameron of his duties as a lame-duck Prime Minister. Since the referendum result was announced, his stature has been greatly diminished and his authority reduced to a point where he was no longer able to command the respect of his international partners.

The election of a new Prime Minister reduces the perception of a vacuum of power, which seemed to have prevailed in Westminster for a good three weeks. This undoubtedly exacerbated the political and economic uncertainty that Britain faces.

In the post-referendum political climate, it soon became apparent that May was one of the best choices to become prime minister and leader of the Conservative Party.

First elected to the House of Commons in 1997, she has sat on the front benches since 1999. In 2002, as chairman of the Conservative Party, May bravely told the party conference that it must shed its “nasty party” image in order to be electable again. During her time in Opposition, she occupied several key portfolios including education, transport, culture, and shadow leader of the House of Commons.

Since the 2010 election, she served as home secretary and is one of the longest office-holders in over half a century. May’s tenure is believed to have been positive though not without controversy. After a decade of legal battles, May succeeded in getting the Salafist cleric, Abu Qatata, deported back to Jordan. When faced with pressure by the US government to extradite the computer hacker Gary McKinnon, May refused citing concerns over his human rights.

She adopted initiatives that served to reform the police forces. This yielded some positive results; during her tenure, the Office for National Statistics reported that crime had been reduced by approximately 10 per cent. Her time in the Home Office has augmented her image as a tough negotiator who is not too keen on the showy aspects of politics. During the Brexit referendum, despite being Eurosceptic, May backed a Remain vote. Nonetheless, her contribution to the campaign was minimal and she refrained from taking part in any of the key debates of the campaign. She, thus, emerged from the electoral exercise as the least divisive of candidates.

Some have compared her to Margaret Thatcher. This comparison is rather weak; Thatcher and May seem to have radically different approaches to politics. Whilst Thatcher adopted a more ideological approach, May has admitted to being a “one nation” conservative who does not have much time for the finer points of ideology.

In terms of temperament, both women seem to be radical opposites. This may be a positive trait; given the enormous challenges she faces, May might need to be less intransigent on a number of issues.

May’s premiership will be an uphill struggle. Her first challenge is to ensure her Cabinet will successfully steer the ship of state in the coming months. She will also have to trigger off Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty and, later, carefully select a team to negotiate Britain’s withdrawal from the EU. The success of this withdrawal will depend entirely on the team she selects. A cross-party team backed by a strong team of experts will be crucial at this stage.

Secondly, she will need to help to restore trust in political institutions and in the British economy. This will only be possible if she can deliver on her promise to be a safe pair of hands.

Her most difficult task will be to build bridges with institutions that have become cynical and distrustful of politics and politicians.

Nonetheless, May’s election is a welcome change after weeks of uncertainty. The time is now ripe for May to build some momentum and prove herself.

andre.deb@gmail.com

André DeBattista is a member of the Political Studies Association (UK).

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