Theresa May has become Britain’s second female Prime Minister and, like Margaret Thatcher, she enters Number 10 Downing Street with massive challenges ahead of her, most notably how to negotiate the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union, how to heal the divisions caused by the referendum result, how to prevent the economy from entering into recession and how to avoid the break-up of the UK.
The new Prime Minister was not meant to take office until September but the sudden departure from the race of Ms May’s rival Conservative leadership candidate Andrea Leadsom on Monday left her unopposed for the top job.
By Wednesday afternoon David Cameron had resigned and he was swiftly replaced by Ms May later in the day. Further uncertainty was consequently avoided, and that can only be a good thing.
So what can we say so far about Theresa May? Based on her Cabinet appointments and sackings, she has proved to be rather ruthless. She sacked, or in some cases forced the resignation of, seven Cabinet members: George Osborne (former Chancellor), Michael Gove (leading Brexit campaigner), Nicky Morgan, John Whittingdale, Oliver Letwin, Stephen Crabb and Theresa Villiers. She also kept only four members of the Cabinet in their previous roles – including Defence Secretary Michael Fallon, a Remain supporter – and appointed many new faces, so the reshuffle was a very thorough one. It is interesting to note that the Cabinet of 23 consists of 16 from the Remain camp and seven from the Leave side.
New Cabinet appointments include chief Brexit campaigner Boris Johnson as Foreign Secretary – the biggest surprise of all which has led to some eyebrows being raised in European capitals; Philip Hammond as Chancellor of the Exchequer – definitely a ‘safe pair of hands’ who was a Remain campaigner and who acknowledged that the referendum result caused economic and financial uncertainty; Amber Rudd as Home Secretary – she was a Remain campaigner so her appointment will calm the nerves of EU migrants in the UK; David Davis to the newly-created post of Secretary of State for Exiting the EU – he is a well-known eurosceptic and was active in the Leave campaign; and Liam Fox, a Leave campaigner, to the newly-created post of International Trade Secretary.
The choice of Mr Johnson as Foreign Secretary, a very senior post, is by far the most controversial of Ms May’s appointments, and there must have been a deal made by the two during the leadership contest. The former London mayor is certainly no stranger to gaffes on the international stage. During the EU referendum campaign he absurdly said US President Barack Obama had an “ancestral dislike” of the UK because of his “part-Kenyan” heritage. And he once described Hillary Clinton as having “a steely blue stare, like a sadistic nurse in a mental hospital”. As Foreign Secretary he will definitely have to learn not to say such stupid things or he could well return to the backbenches.
If Brexit is really going to happen, Theresa May will have to find a solution for Scotland and Northern Ireland
Ms May, who supported the UK remaining in the EU, will need all her negotiating experience, toughness and astuteness to negotiate Britain’s departure from the EU. She has appointed three Brexiters, Boris Johnson, David Davis and Liam Fox, to oversee this process, so as to say, “You got us into this situation, now get us a good deal”.
However, as Prime Minister, she will soon have to spell out exactly what her vision is for Britain’s relationship with the EU. She has not yet declared, for example, if she simply wants a trade deal with the EU or whether she wants access to the Single Market – and how she will be able to restrict the free movement of people if she goes for the latter.
The new Prime Minister has so far ruled out another EU referendum or an early election and is insisting that “Brexit means Brexit” – although nobody knows under what terms and conditions Britain will leave the UK. Ms May has also maintained that Article 50, the official notification of an exit from the EU, will not be invoked until early next year, which will give the UK government time to formulate its negotiating position.
Even though certain EU Member States and some voices within the European Commission are urging Britain to invoke Article 50 as soon as possible, Ms May is right not to do so immediately. The problem is that once Article 50 is triggered (and some legal experts in Britain say that the government needs parliamentary approval to do this) there is no going back. Surely it would therefore make more sense to first try and reach some form of preliminary agreement with the EU (I know that Brussels is not keen on this) – which could then be put to a vote either in Parliament or in another referendum or at a general election.
If this deal is approved then Article 50 could be set in motion. If not approved then the case for the UK leaving the EU would collapse. I think it is only right that the country is given a clear picture of what the alternative to EU membership is before officially exiting the bloc. I continue to believe, of course, that there is no viable alternative to EU membership for the UK, and that this remains in the interest of both sides.
If Brexit is really going to happen, Theresa May will have to find a solution for Scotland and Northern Ireland which both voted massively to remain in the EU. The new Northern Ireland Secretary, James Brokenshire, was part of the Remain campaign, so that will be welcomed by the people of Northern Ireland. And David Mundell, who was re-appointed Secretary of State for Scotland, hinted that he believed a solution was possible regarding Scotland’s wish to remain in the EU, although the Chancellor, Philip Hammond, seems to have dismissed this possibility. The bottom line is this: if Ms May wants to save the Union she will have to accommodate the wishes of the people of Scotland and Northern Ireland.
As Ms May entered Downing Street she told the assembled media that she would lead a government that worked for all, not just the “privileged few” and admitted that for an “ordinary working class family life is much harder than many people in Westminster realise”. This could well be a tactic to widen the Conservative Party’s appeal while Labour is still stuck with its left-wing leader Jeremy Corbyn.
One thing is for certain: helping people at the lower end of the income ladder is certainly a very welcome policy and an important measure of social justice, and the more the economy grows, the more society can help those in need. That is why Ms May must do whatever she can to ensure that UK economic growth is not hindered as she maps out Britain’s future relationship with the EU.