MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 07th June, 2019) Brexit largely overshadowed the nearly three years of Theresa May's tenure as UK prime minister and eventually became her downfall.
May announced in an emotional speech in late May that she would step down as the leader of the Conservative Party on June 7. She will remain a caretaker prime minister until her party elects a new leader.
The decision to resign came after her latest attempt to push a Brexit deal through the parliament. After unsuccessful talks with the opposition, May offered lawmakers some new incentives. In particular, she promised the parliament to have a vote on a second referendum, which did not sit well with some in May's own party.
The United Kingdom's departure from the European Union has become one of the key challenges of May's premiership. The prime minister was in favor of Remain ahead of a 2016 referendum, yet she got tasked with delivering Brexit after a Leave victory prompted her predecessor to resign. The task proved to be insurmountable.
The talks with the European Union lasted for months, getting snagged on various details, from divorce settlement to the status of Northern Irish border.
The deal was rejected by the parliament three times.
The embattled prime minister survived a no confidence vote in her own party in December, while in January her government won the confidence of the parliament.
May's premiership became closely associated with Brexit, but she initially planned to make it about more than just the EU divorce.
In her first statement as a prime minister delivered on July 13, 2016, May pledged to fight "the burning injustice that, if you're born poor, you will die on average 9 years earlier than others." She cited many examples of hardships faced daily by the British and vowed that her government would not be "driven ... by the interests of the privileged few."
As a result, May's government has urged companies with more than 250 employees to publish gender pay gap information. In addition, she launched a consultation in late 2018 on ethnicity pay gap.
"The unique privilege of this office is to use this platform to give a voice to the voiceless, to fight the burning injustices that still scar our society. That is why I put proper funding for mental health at the heart of our NHS long-term plan. It is why I am ending the post code lottery for survivors of domestic abuse. It is why the Race Disparity Audit and gender pay reporting are shining a light on inequality, so it has nowhere to hide," May said in her resignation speech.
May has been mocked at times over her attempts to project a public-friendly image. For instance, her awkward dance moves to Dancing Queen at the Conservative Party conference got plastered all over the social media.
Ahead of the snap elections that May herself called in a bid to solidify her position in the parliament, she was asked by an interviewer what was the naughtiest thing she had done in her childhood. Her response � to have "run through fields of wheat" � gave rise to multiple memes. Incidentally, her election plan backfired. The Conservative Party lost some seats in the 2017 elections, forcing May to rely on the Democratic Unionist Party to prop the Conservative government.
The prime minister's public persona may have seemed diligent and a little rigid, but in fashion, she has favored bright colors and bold prints. Her shoes, often whimsical, have often drawn attention.
May became the second woman to hold the prime minister's office in the United Kingdom. In her resignation speech, she said she hoped she would not be the last one. In this respect, she was following in the footsteps of Margaret Thatcher, the Iron Lady. May, in turn, has demonstrated steely determination in the face of multiple obstacles.
"I will shortly leave the job that it has been the honor of my life to hold ... I do so with no ill will, but with enormous and enduring gratitude to have had the opportunity to serve the country I love," May said.
The leadership contest will officially begin on June 10.
