Theresa Mary May, Baroness May of Maidenhead (née Brasier), born on 1 October 1956, is a prominent British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from July 2016 to July 2019, making her the second female Prime Minister after Margaret Thatcher. She previously served as Home Secretary from May 2010 to July 2016, where she oversaw significant policies on immigration, national security, and counter-terrorism, including the controversial 'hostile environment' policy aimed at reducing illegal immigration. Elected as Member of Parliament (MP) for Maidenhead in 1997, she held the seat until 2024 and has been a member of the House of Lords since August 2024. Her premiership was dominated by Brexit negotiations following the 2016 referendum, during which she invoked Article 50 in 2017 and faced multiple parliamentary defeats on her withdrawal agreement, leading to her resignation in 2019. Before entering politics, May had a career in finance and local government, working at the Bank of England and the Association for Payment Clearing Services (APACS). Her political journey started in 1986 as a councillor in the London Borough of Merton. As Home Secretary, she introduced reforms to police powers and tackled issues like human trafficking and extremism. Post-premiership, she has focused on advocacy for issues such as modern slavery and environmental policy. May's leadership style has been described as pragmatic yet steadfast, though she faced criticism for her handling of the Windrush scandal in 2018. She remains an influential figure in conservative politics.