The tributes are pouring in for Theresa May after the former prime minister announced that she will be stepping down at the next election. In a statement in the Maidenhead Advertiser, her local paper, May reiterated her support for Rishi Sunak and said she was leaving to spend more time on ‘causes close to my heart’ such as the fight against modern slavery. Sunak has in turn praised her as a ‘relentless campaigner’. May’s former chief of staff Gavin Barwell has said that future prime ministers should follow her example by remaining in parliament for a time as a backbencher following a period in No. 10.
May’s decision to step down adds to a growing sense that the party is bracing for defeat
As we discuss on the latest Coffee House Shots podcast, May has handled her post-prime ministerial career better than some of her predecessors – particularly David Cameron. Cameron is now attempting a reset of his post-No.

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