Goodbye, Theresa May – thank you for trying

Editorial: Britain’s second female prime minister proved herself a dutiful and decent resident of No 10 – but her 27-year Commons career will forever be overshadowed by her failure to deliver a ‘soft’ Brexit

At a time when cynicism about politicians is high, she was evidently in politics out of a sense of duty (AFP/Getty)

At other times in the nation’s history, Theresa May could have been the right prime minister. She was a diligent, personally decent leader, who found herself in office, slightly to her surprise after other candidates fell at late hurdles, at a time when exceptional qualities were required.

One small measure of her propriety was that she remained in the House of Commons for five years after being prime minister, serving her constituents in Maidenhead and pursuing causes in which she believed – and she announced her intention to stand down as an MP in her local newspaper.

As she joins the growing queue for the exit, further reinforcing expectations of a change of government at the coming election, now is a good time to take stock of her contribution to national life.