Theresa May worked.
Theresa Mary May ( née Brasier ; born 1 October 1956 ) is a British politician who has served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom since 2016 . She has been the Member of Parliament ( MP ) for Maidenhead since 1997 and Leader of the Conservative Party since July 2016 . From 1977 until 1983 , she worked for the Bank of England , and from 1985 until 1997 at the Association for Payment Clearing Services , also serving as a councillor for Durnsford in Merton . From 1999 to 2010 , May held a number of roles in the Shadow Cabinets of William Hague , Iain Duncan Smith , Michael Howard and David Cameron , including Shadow Transport Secretary and Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary . She was also Chairman of the Conservative Party from 2002 to 2003 .