Theresa May will take over the job of British prime minister from David Cameron on Wednesday after a series of political shocks caused by Britain’s vote to leave the European Union.
May, who has been interior minister for six years and is seen by her supporters as a safe pair of hands to steer Britain through the disruptive process of leaving the EU, will become Britain’s second woman prime minister, after Margaret Thatcher.
Cameron, who led the campaign to remain in the 28-member bloc Britain had joined in 1973, announced the morning after the June 23 referendum that he would stand down, triggering a leadership contest in the ruling Conservative Party.
The contest had been due to last until September but ended unexpectedly on Monday when junior energy minister Andrea Leadsom, May’s last rival candidate after others were eliminated, abruptly pulled out.
After taking part in his last weekly session of Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) in parliament’s House of Commons at lunchtime, Cameron will make his way to Buckingham Palace to tender his resignation to Queen Elizabeth.
May will then enter Number 10 Downing Street as prime minister before the end of the day.
She is thought to immediately start putting together a new cabinet, a complex political balancing act in which she will try and satisfy opposing camps in her party, which was bitterly split over the EU issue.
She is expected to promote women ministers to several senior roles, and Cameron’s long-serving finance minister George Osborne could lose his job, according to media reports.
Decide whether the following statements are True or false.
- May has been in the government for only a very short time.
- May is not the first female prime minister in the UK.
- There was no competition for the position in the Conservative Party.
- May will move in 10 Downing Street in a couple of weeks.
- Cameron, the former Prime Minister will give his resignation to the Queen.
Answers: F, T, F, F, T
| to take over | prendere il posto, sostituire |
| vote | voto |
| interior minister | ministro dell’interno |
| supporter | sostenitore, sostenitrice |
| to steer | guidare, condurre |
| disruptive | dannoso, distruttivo |
| to remain | restare, rimanere |
| to trigger | scatenare, innescare, dare il via |
| to be due | essere dovuto, essere previsto |
| rival | rivale |
| House of Commons | Camera dei comuni (la camera bassa del parlamento inglese) |
| to tender | presentare, offrire |
| resignation | dimissioni |
| opposing | avversario, nemico |
| to split | dividere |
| promote | promuovere, incentivare |
| long-serving | per lungo tempo |
