Theresa May becomes PM as we recall her visit to south Warwickshire

BRITAIN’S new Prime Minister, Theresa May, made a special trip to Stratford-upon-Avon – via Shipston-on-Stour – during the first weekend of May 2009.

At the time she was David Cameron’s Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and Shadow Minister for Women and Equality.

She was doing the rounds to rally the Tory faithful for the elections that were taking place a few days’ hence.

There were two polls in May that year: the county council elections and –ironically as things have turned out – the European Parliament elections!

On her arrival in Stratford after her visit to Shipston I met her, as arranged, at the Conservative Party headquarters in Trinity Street, in order to conduct a face-to-face interview for the Herald.

The first thing I noticed was that she was well-dressed, extremely polite and surprisingly feminine. What was also quite noticeable about her was that she was quite serious.

She was very straight, by the standards of most politicians, and listened intently to every word of every question. She then answered the questions with great precision and clarity, as though she was determined to make sure she was being as honest and accurate as humanly possible.

It was impossible not to like and respect her – whatever your political persuasion – because she came across as someone who was entirely genuine. As one of her colleagues put it recently, what you see is what you get.

Notwithstanding fellow Tory MP Ken Clarke’s amusing comment about her being “a bloody difficult woman” (while adding, in his chat with Malcolm Rifkind, that they knew a thing or two about difficult women because they’d both worked for Margaret Thatcher!) I got the impression she could be strong-willed when she felt it necessary but that she would be fundamentally receptive to a well-argued case.

She can certainly be tough (and courageous!), especially if her decision to take on the Police Federation at their own conference is anything to go by.

What was also striking about Mrs May’s 2009 visit to South Warwickshire was her preparedness to muck in with the local Tory activists. Entirely of her own accord she would suddenly stride up to someone’s front door, knock on it and tell the bemused householder: “Hello. I’m Theresa May from the Conservative Party. I’m just wondering if we can count on your support at the forthcoming elections?”

After knocking on one of those doors in London Road, Shipston – and asking that question – the householder responded: “I’m afraid you can’t count on my support. I’m one of the Labour candidates…” This produced good-natured giggles all round.

Despite her high profile as Home Secretary over the past six years, Mrs May is still a big unknown quantity to most people. But she’s now stepped on to a stage where the lights will be shining much brighter than she’s ever known before.

Not only has Mrs May become Prime Minister, but she’s obtained the keys to Ten Downing Street after one of the most turbulent periods in British political history. And it’s not over yet, by a long shot…