Facts You Might Not Know About "To Be" David Cameron Successor

Mrs Theresa May is a highly experienced politician and has survived in one of Government’s toughest jobs for more than six years. 

She will be the second female prime minister in Britain history

The steely politician reluctantly supported staying in the EU, but she kept a low profile during the bitter and divisive EU referendum campaign

Mrs May was born in the seaside town of Eastbourne, Sussex, to a vicar and his wife. 

The Home Secretary says that her upbringing gave her a sense of public duty that continues to be a key driving force for her.  

Mrs May studied at a local grammar school before going to Oxford University and working for the Bank of England for a number of years.

Mrs May has acknowledged that she is not "showy" and does not wear her heart on her sleeve. Instead, she points to her track record. 

Mrs May is known for dressing stylishly and has been spotted in leopard-print shoes, high-length patent boots and tartan suits.

Unlike other Conservative politicians, Mrs May does not belong to a Westminster clique or social circle. 

Mrs May has long been the most powerful Conservative woman in British politics and she is one of the longest serving home secretaries in history. 

She was first elected as MP of Maidenhead in 1997 and she was quickly appointed to William Hague’s shadow cabinet. 

Mrs May became the first female chairman of the Conservative Party in 2002. She famously said the Conservatives had to stop being the “Nasty Party".

Her steely reputation was cemented when she took on the police federation and imposed police cuts, making her an unpopular figure among officers. 

She scrapped plans for compulsory ID cards and was not afraid to confront police over stop and search or historic injustices such as Hillsborough. 

Mrs May has now pledged to put the Conservative Party at the “service of working” people.  

Theresa May is known for wearing eye-catching shoes

Theresa May and her husband Philip

She met her husband, Philip May, while studying at Oxford University. She has spoken about their heartbreak over the fact that they cannot have children. 

Mrs May has Type 1 diabetes and has to inject herself with insulin twice a day. But she has dismissed this as ’a case of just getting on with it'.