Former British PM Theresa May to stand down at next election

May becomes the latest member of the governing Conservative Party to signal their departure from frontline politics later this year

Britain's former Prime Minister Theresa May looks on, during a state visit by South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol, in London, Britain, Nov 21, 2023. REUTERS

Former British Prime Minister Theresa May will not stand for re-election to parliament, she said on Friday, becoming the latest member of the governing Conservative Party to signal their departure from frontline politics later this year.

May became prime minister in 2016 after then-leader David Cameron quit in the wake of Britain's shock vote to leave the European Union. She was selected by her Conservative Party peers to implement the unprecedented decision, for which her predecessor had left no blueprint.

May told her local newspaper, the Maidenhead Advertiser, that since stepping down as prime minister she had spent an increasing amount of time on global issues, such as seeking to tackle modern slavery and human trafficking.

"Because of this, after much careful thought and consideration, I have realised that, looking ahead, I would no longer be able to do my job as an MP (Member of Parliament) in the way I believe is right and my constituents deserve," she said.

May's tenure was dominated by Brexit, overseeing one of the most tumultuous periods in recent British political history as she grappled to hold together a party, and a country, that was deeply divided over what Britain's withdrawal from the EU meant for the nation's future.

Ultimately, she tearfully resigned as prime minister in failure in 2019 having been unable to deliver Brexit on schedule or find a way to get parliament to approve her exit plan.

Since leaving office she has remained a member of parliament for her constituency in south-east England.