The former UK Prime Minister Theresa May has announced that she will not stand for re-election in the next general election, expected to occur later this year.
She said she wanted to focus on her campaign against modern slavery and human traffickùing, which she launched last October with the support of the UK and Bahrain governments.
May, who served as prime minister from 2016 to 2019, faced a turbulent tenure marked by Brexit negotiations and a loss of parliamentary majority. She resigned in 2019 after failing to secure a deal that satisfied her party and the opposition.
She has been the MP for Maidenhead since 1997 and said it was an honour and a privilege to represent her constituents. She also expressed her commitment to supporting the government led by Rishi Sunak and the Conservative Party.
May is one of the 64 Conservatives and former Conservatives who have decided to retire from parliament, the highest number since she entered the Commons in 1997.
May said the prospect of an early election did not influence her decision to quit but her desire to devote more time and energy to her anti-slavery campaign, which she described as “the great human rights issue of our time”. She said she had been inspired by meeting survivors of slavery and trafficking around the world and by the work of organisations such as the Freedom Fund and the Global Fund to End Modern Slavery.
She said she would continue to work with the UN, the Commonwealth and other international partners to raise awareness and mobilise action against this “barbaric evil”. She also said she would remain active in public, speaking on issues such as climate change, security and women’s rights.
May’s announcement surprised many of her colleagues and allies, who praised her for her service and dedication to the country. The prime minister, Rishi Sunak, said he was “deeply grateful” for her support and friendship and that she had been “a formidable leader who achieved great things for Britain”. He also hoped she would continue to play a “vital role” in the Conservative Party and the country.7
The leader of the opposition, Keir Starmer, said he respected May’s decision and wished her well for the future. He said she had shown “courage and resilience” in dealing with the challenges of Brexit and the pandemic and admired her work on modern slavery. He also hoped she would use her voice to hold the government accountable for its policies and promises.
May’s departure will trigger a by-election in her constituency of Maidenhead, which she won with a majority of 18,846 votes in 2019.
The Conservatives are expected to retain the seat the party has held since its creation in 1997. However, some analysts have suggested that the Liberal Democrats, who came second in 2019, could threaten the Tory dominance, primarily if the election is held before the end of the year.
