Theresa May served as a councillor.
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 . 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 . After the formation of a coalition government following the 2010 general election , May was appointed Home Secretary and Minister for Women and Equalities , giving up the latter role in 2012 . Reappointed after the Conservative victory in the 2015 general election , she went on to become the longest-serving Home Secretary since James Chuter Ede over 60 years previously .