In spite of the irony that David Cameron resigned as UK Prime Minister because he felt a “Remainer” and could not lead the government to Brexit, the country’s leading lady Theresa May, former Home Secretary, is set to enter No10 on Wednesday. May will be UK’s Prime Minister for the Trident nuclear weapons system renewal vote, in the House of Commons on Monday, 18 July. May has said “it is crucial that we maintain our independent nuclear deterrent” and has made it clear that UK’s defence and counter terrorism initiatives are an important ongoing priority.When May was told she couldn’t deport radical Salafi cleric Abu Qatada, she flew to Jordan and negotiated a treaty that got him out of Britain permanently. Despite her reputation as the “Reluctant Remainer”, at her speech in Birmingham on 11th, she clearly stated: “We must leave the European Union—and forge a new role for ourselves in the world”. In her bluntly endearing article in The Sun on Sunday, May said “…there are also some great opportunities caused by leaving the EU. The Government will be able to do more to control immigration to Britain from other European countries…the referendum was not just a vote against our membership of the EU. It was a vote for change… In Westminster, I am sometimes criticised for doing politics my own way. As Ken Clarke said about me this week, I can be a ‘bloody difficult woman’. But as I said after-wards: Yes, and the European Commission is about to find out.” May promises to place big business under scrutiny and make executives more accountable. Getting strict on corporate irresponsibility, she will set out plans to making it tough for top dogs to get huge remunerations that do not reflect performance. May has been called a dry biscuit; she says she is not the typical politician “I don’t tour the television studios; I don’t gossip about people over lunch, I don’t go drinking in Parliament’s bars. I don’t often wear my heart on my sleeve.” May has always stood up for some of the most vulnerable people in society. She comes across as a very convincing speaker today with laudable amibitions to resolve inequality and rise to the challenge that has been laid at her feet. Stock markets are expected to flourish on Tuesday as uncertainty wanes.
“Leaver” Andrea Leadsom MP preferred to elegantly withdraw from the Tory leadership contest, effectively handing the Prime Minister-ship to May. Leadsom cited that the EU referendum result demonstrated that strong leadership to Brexit was urgently needed and a nine-week leadership campaign at such a critical moment was highly undesirable; Leadsom was uncomfortable that EU workers in the UK and the businesses that employ them do not know where they stand, her withdrawal will accelerate resolution for all the above. Sources suggest that Leadsom was also intimidated by the very personal abuse she received after her remark that some interpreted as meaning a mother would make a better Prime Minister. Pundits concluded Leadsom was not ready for top level politics. Leadsom offered her confidence in and support to May.
All the above totally eclipsed Angela Eagle’s unfortunately timed launch event to challenge Jeremy Corbyn for the Labour leadership. Owen Smith, Labour MP from Wales and former Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, is rumoured to join the race on Tuesday. Big Labour names like Hilary Benn, Harriet Harmon, Tristram Hunt, Chukka Umunna and Dan Jarvis have been noticeably quiet. There are two real questions. One, Will Corbyn automatically appear on the ballot paper? And two, Is this a race to split or unify the Labour Party?