Philip May: Difference between revisions

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
Line 56: Line 56:


When at [[University of Oxford|Oxford University]] he was the president of the [[Oxford University Student Union|Student Union]] there, and both he and [[Theresa May]] were members of the [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Student Union there]] too<ref>{{cite web |url=https://inews.co.uk/news/politics/theresa-mays-husband/ |title=Who is Theresa May's husband? |date=3 July 2016 |deadurl=no |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180101135419/https://inews.co.uk/news/politics/theresa-mays-husband/ |archivedate=1 January 2018 |df= }}</ref> and has consequently been involved in [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] [[Politics]] before he met and married [[Theresa May]], hence they were reportedly introduced to each other at a [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party Association]] disco whilst at [[University of Oxford|university]]<ref name="metro.co.uk"/> in the 1970s.
When at [[University of Oxford|Oxford University]] he was the president of the [[Oxford University Student Union|Student Union]] there, and both he and [[Theresa May]] were members of the [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Student Union there]] too<ref>{{cite web |url=https://inews.co.uk/news/politics/theresa-mays-husband/ |title=Who is Theresa May's husband? |date=3 July 2016 |deadurl=no |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180101135419/https://inews.co.uk/news/politics/theresa-mays-husband/ |archivedate=1 January 2018 |df= }}</ref> and has consequently been involved in [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] [[Politics]] before he met and married [[Theresa May]], hence they were reportedly introduced to each other at a [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party Association]] disco whilst at [[University of Oxford|university]]<ref name="metro.co.uk"/> in the 1970s.
[[File:Riyen Karia with Philip May.jpg|alt=Philip May on political canvassing|thumb|May with a Conservative activist at [[Conservative Campaign Headquarters]] in Westminster, London]]
[[File:Riyen Karia with Philip May.jpg|alt=Philip May on political canvassing|thumb|upright|May with a Conservative activist at [[Conservative Campaign Headquarters]] in Westminster, London]]
Philip May was named in the [[Panama Papers]] before [[Theresa May]] became [[Prime Minister (United Kingdom)|Prime Minister]] 2016<ref>{{cite web |url=http://uk.businessinsider.com/theresa-may-philip-may-offshore-panama-papers-blind-trust-tax-return-mcdonnell-2017-12?r=US&IR=T |title=May told to prove she has 'nothing to hide' after 10,000 sign petition to declare offshore interests |deadurl=no |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180101135357/http://uk.businessinsider.com/theresa-may-philip-may-offshore-panama-papers-blind-trust-tax-return-mcdonnell-2017-12?r=US&IR=T |archivedate=1 January 2018 |df= }}</ref> and also served as a Director at [[Capital Group Companies|Capital Group]] until he was made to resign due to conflict of interest when [[Theresa May]] became Prime Minister in July 2016. This means that since then, and for as long as he has been the [[Spouse of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom]] he has not had any other job or affiliation, and consequently has been able to be more involved in [[Politics]], particularly in supporting [[Theresa May]].
Philip May was named in the [[Panama Papers]] before [[Theresa May]] became [[Prime Minister (United Kingdom)|Prime Minister]] 2016<ref>{{cite web |url=http://uk.businessinsider.com/theresa-may-philip-may-offshore-panama-papers-blind-trust-tax-return-mcdonnell-2017-12?r=US&IR=T |title=May told to prove she has 'nothing to hide' after 10,000 sign petition to declare offshore interests |deadurl=no |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180101135357/http://uk.businessinsider.com/theresa-may-philip-may-offshore-panama-papers-blind-trust-tax-return-mcdonnell-2017-12?r=US&IR=T |archivedate=1 January 2018 |df= }}</ref> and also served as a Director at [[Capital Group Companies|Capital Group]] until he was made to resign due to conflict of interest when [[Theresa May]] became Prime Minister in July 2016. This means that since then, and for as long as he has been the [[Spouse of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom]] he has not had any other job or affiliation, and consequently has been able to be more involved in [[Politics]], particularly in supporting [[Theresa May]].


Revision as of 18:49, 27 February 2018

For other people with similar names, see Phil May (disambiguation).
Philip May
File:Philip May, June 2017.png
In role
13 July 2016
MonarchElizabeth II
Prime MinisterTheresa May
Preceded bySamantha Cameron
Personal details
Born
Philip John May

(1957-09-18) 18 September 1957 (age 66)
Norwich, Norfolk, England
Political partyConservative
Spouse
​
(m. 1980)​
Residence11 Downing Street
Alma materLincoln College, Oxford

Philip John May (born 18 September 1957)[1] is a British investment relationship manager and the husband of Theresa May, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

Early life and education

May was born in Norwich, Norfolk[2] and grew up near Liverpool, attending Calday Grange Grammar School in West Kirby. His parents were John May and Joy May (née Miller), a sales representative for a shoe wholesaler and a teacher of French, respectively.[3]

May attended university at Lincoln College of the University of Oxford, graduating with a history degree.[4] He served as the Oxford Union Society's President during 1979. In this role he took over from future Conservative MP Alan Duncan and was succeeded by future journalist Michael Crick.[5]

Career

May has worked in finance since graduating from university. As of 2016, he has been employed by the financial group Capital International as a relationship manager for more than ten years; he had previously been a fund manager for de Zoete & Bevan, Prudential Portfolio Managers and Deutsche Asset Management.[4][6] His former LinkedIn profile listed his focuses in work as pension fund and insurance relationship management.[7][8]

After his wife Theresa May, now the British Prime Minister,[9] emerged as the only remaining candidate for the Conservative party leadership, his employer issued a statement saying that his current job does not make him responsible for investment decisions: "he is not involved with, and doesn't manage, money and is not a portfolio manager. His job is to ensure the clients are happy with the service and that we understand their goals."[10]

Philip May briefly served as chairman of the local Conservative Party association in Wimbledon before reportedly deciding to concentrate on his career in finance.[2][3] May has remained an active campaigner for the Conservative Party: he helped to canvass voters ahead of the 2017 Copeland by-election and he supports his wife in her Maidenhead constituency business.[11] As May's spouse, he has generally avoided giving interviews or making public statements, but did accompany her for a joint interview on the BBC1 programme The One Show during the 2017 general election campaign.[11]

Personal life

May and his future wife, then Theresa Brasier, met while students at Oxford University; they were introduced by future Prime Minister of Pakistan Benazir Bhutto at a Conservative Party student disco.[12] They later bonded over a shared love of cricket, and married on 6 September 1980.[13][14]

Theresa May has stated her regret that, for health reasons, she and Philip have not been able to have children; she said in one interview that, "You look at families all the time and you see there is something there that you don't have".[14][15]

According to a joint interview on The One Show prior to the 2017 general election, May said "I get to decide when I take the bins out. Not if I take them out" further diverging that "I do the traditional boy jobs by and large"[16][17] which drew criticism from some commentators that the Mays were too fixed on what a girl and boy should be limited to[18]. Later in the interview, May stated that "I quite like ties. Jackets, stuff like that. Normal."[19]

Asked about the downside to being married to the prime minister, May insisted it was a privilege, saying: "If you're the kind of man who expects his tea to be on the table at six o'clock every evening, you could be a disappointed man."[20]

Political life

Philip May has assumed a back-seat in terms of politics he is not himself an elected politician, and does not hold any official government position other than Spouse of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. However, he is starting to play a more active role in supporting his wife. Due to his financial career and expertise[21] he is expected to be Theresa May's personal advisor and voice on Brexit, advising her from a financial perspective in a personal capacity along with Philip Hammond, and has already become the "eyes and ears" of the Prime Minister for the City of London, namely their banking district.[22]

In June 2017, May made his first public appearance on television, as he appeared alongside his wife on the BBC One Show before the election.[23]

May alongside his wife Theresa, who declared her intention to stay on following the inconclusive election result of June 2017

Additionally, Philip May is an experienced Conservative campaigner, regularly campaigning with Theresa May, especially in Maidenhead.[24] He has also been very supportive of Theresa May's political ambitions, endorsing her after Theresa May's speech at the Conservative Party Conference 2017 in Manchester[25] in which she had a coughing fit.[26] He is described as an "experienced Conservative activist and campaigner".[22]

He has been a Conservative Party member for many years, and was instrumental in supporting Margaret Thatcher's government: At the 1986 Conservative Party Conference he was asked by Thatcher to speak, which he did[27] and was praised for his performance.[28]

When at Oxford University he was the president of the Student Union there, and both he and Theresa May were members of the Conservative Student Union there too[29] and has consequently been involved in Conservative Politics before he met and married Theresa May, hence they were reportedly introduced to each other at a Conservative Party Association disco whilst at university[28] in the 1970s.

Philip May on political canvassing
May with a Conservative activist at Conservative Campaign Headquarters in Westminster, London

Philip May was named in the Panama Papers before Theresa May became Prime Minister 2016[30] and also served as a Director at Capital Group until he was made to resign due to conflict of interest when Theresa May became Prime Minister in July 2016. This means that since then, and for as long as he has been the Spouse of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom he has not had any other job or affiliation, and consequently has been able to be more involved in Politics, particularly in supporting Theresa May.

It is noted that May doesn't attend meetings to advise the Prime Minister in an official capacity but has been referred to as the Prime Minister's 'most trusted adviser'[31][32], following her consultation with him over calling the snap general election in 2017 and her 2016 Conservative Party Conference speech[33].

May alongside other spouses of world leaders at the G20 in July 2017

May made his first official visit as Spouse of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom to the G20 summit in July 2017 in Hamburg, Germany. During the visit he engaged in gala concerts and boat trips alongside meeting with the spouses of other world leaders, including US First Lady, Melania Trump[33].

Prime Minister May's visit to China

May accompanied his wife, the Prime Minister on a visit to China where he was perceived by many national media outlets as a modest 'First Gentleman'[34], a style no spouse of a British Prime Minister has received before. The newspaper, the Paper reported that May was "very low key", preferring to "stay away from the media and the public eye"[34]. May was described by the Sina Weibo social media website as "a very handsome gentleman" and the Prime Minister as 'fashionable'[35]. The couple were praised for their '40 years of marriage' and defence and support of each other. Xinhua News Agency proposed that these qualities will make Prime Minister May the "next Margaret Thatcher"[36].

See also

References

  1. ^ Awford, Jenny (4 October 2017). "May's 'Secret Weapon'". The Sun. Retrieved 4 February 2018.
  2. ^ a b "Philip May: The banker husband and Theresa's 'real rock'". ITV News. Archived from the original on 13 July 2016. Retrieved 13 July 2016. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  3. ^ a b Levy, Geoffrey. "Philip, the husband who will be Denis to Theresa's Maggie (without the G&Ts): Geoffrey Levy on future PM's 'rock' who preferred to stand in the shadows". Daily Mail. Archived from the original on 13 July 2016. Retrieved 12 July 2016. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)[better source needed]
  4. ^ a b Wyatt, Daisy (3 July 2016). "Who is Theresa May's husband?". I (newspaper). Archived from the original on 6 July 2016. Retrieved 8 July 2016. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  5. ^ Hibbert, Christopher, ed. (1988). "Presidents of the Union since 1900". The Encyclopaedia of Oxford. Macmillan. pp. 527–532. ISBN 0-333-39917-X.
  6. ^ Goodley, Simon. "Philip May: the reserved City fixture and husband happy to take a back seat". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 12 July 2016. Retrieved 13 July 2016. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  7. ^ Levine, Daniel. "Philip John May, Theresa May's Husband: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know". Heavy. Archived from the original on 13 July 2016. Retrieved 12 July 2016. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  8. ^ Makortoff. "Who is Britain's new 'first husband'?". CNBC. Archived from the original on 12 July 2016. Retrieved 13 July 2016. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  9. ^ Day, Elizabeth. "Theresa May – what lies beyond the public image?". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 15 July 2016. Retrieved 10 July 2016. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  10. ^ "Theresa May used 'well-established' blind trust mechanism". BBC. 11 January 2017. Archived from the original on 28 May 2017. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  11. ^ a b Esther Addley (9 May 2017). "Philip May: the prime minister's husband steps out of the shadows". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 9 May 2017. Retrieved 10 May 2017. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  12. ^ Mendick, Robert (9 July 2016). "The Oxford romance that has guided Theresa May from tragedy to triumph". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 11 July 2016. Retrieved 13 July 2016. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  13. ^ Orr, Deborah (14 December 2009). "Theresa May: David Cameron's lady in waiting". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 7 November 2013. Retrieved 9 June 2011. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  14. ^ a b "I was probably goody two-shoes: Theresa May interviewed". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 3 July 2016. Retrieved 3 July 2016. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  15. ^ "Philip May (LinkedIn page)". LinkedIn. Retrieved 3 July 2016.[dead link]
  16. ^ "Who is Philip May? Theresa May's husband and closest advisor". Business Insider. Retrieved 5 February 2018.
  17. ^ Hulme, Susan (9 May 2017). "The Mays on love, shoes, and who takes the bins out". BBC News. Retrieved 5 February 2018.
  18. ^ "Theresa May under fire for comments during One Show chat". Mail Online. Retrieved 5 February 2018.
  19. ^ Bryan, Scott. "7 Rather Awkward Moments From Theresa And Philip May's "One Show" Interview". BuzzFeed. Retrieved 5 February 2018.
  20. ^ Deacon, Michael (9 May 2017). "Theresa and Philip May on The One Show: sweet, but screamingly dull". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 5 February 2018.
  21. ^ "Theresa May's husband a senior executive at a $1.4tn investment fund that profits from tax avoiding companies". 12 July 2016. Archived from the original on 11 September 2017. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  22. ^ a b "Philip May: Tory activist, City insider . . . and Europhile?". Financial Times. Archived from the original on 1 January 2018. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  23. ^ "Philip May on the One Show: 'I take the bins out' – video". 10 May 2017. Archived from the original on 1 January 2018 – via The Guardian. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  24. ^ "Mr. May makes global debut". 6 July 2017. Archived from the original on 1 January 2018. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  25. ^ "Bloomberg's 100 Best Photos of 2017". Bloomberg L.P. 22 December 2017. Archived from the original on 1 January 2018. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  26. ^ Reuters, Source: (5 October 2017). "Everything that went wrong during Theresa May's speech – video". Archived from the original on 1 January 2018 – via The Guardian. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help); Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)
  27. ^ Kelly, Guy (9 May 2017). "The quiet man: Eight things you should know about Philip May". Archived from the original on 12 May 2017 – via The Daily Telegraph. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  28. ^ a b "All you need to know about Theresa May's husband, Philip May". 7 June 2017. Archived from the original on 30 August 2017. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  29. ^ "Who is Theresa May's husband?". 3 July 2016. Archived from the original on 1 January 2018. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  30. ^ "May told to prove she has 'nothing to hide' after 10,000 sign petition to declare offshore interests". Archived from the original on 1 January 2018. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  31. ^ "Who is Philip May? Theresa May's husband and closest advisor". Business Insider. Retrieved 5 February 2018.
  32. ^ Blackburn, Virginia (13 July 2016). "Meet the close-knit team of trusted advisors who will guide Theresa May as PM". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 5 February 2018.
  33. ^ a b "Mr. May makes global debut". POLITICO. 6 July 2017. Retrieved 5 February 2018.
  34. ^ a b Osborne, Simon (1 February 2018). "Theresa May's secret weapon: 'Handsome' husband Philip charms China on Brexit trade visit". Express.co.uk. Retrieved 5 February 2018.
  35. ^ Allen, Kerry (2018). "China thrilled over 'Auntie May' visit". BBC News. Retrieved 5 February 2018.
  36. ^ Editorial, Reuters. "Are you OK, Aunty May? China warms to Prime Minister May". U.K. Retrieved 5 February 2018. {{cite news}}: |first= has generic name (help)
Honorary titles
Preceded by Spouse of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
2016–present 		Incumbent
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Philip_May&oldid=827955113"