Theresa May sets out key pledges as prime minister

May will be Britain’s second female prime minister after Margaret Thatcher, who held office from 1979 to 1990.

Often called the “British Merkel” and compared to the German chancellor, she insisted that her government will make a success of Brexit and forge a bold and positive role for Britain at the worldwide stage.

“This is a clear indication not only of your determination to use high political office for the protection of some of the world’s most vulnerable people but also of your willingness to work with the Catholic Church at its highest levels”, the cardinal said in the letter, released to the media July 12.

“Obviously, with these changes, we now don’t need to have a prolonged period of transition”. Many of those people, fed up with remote politicians and bureaucrats, voted to leave the EU.

“When it comes to opportunity we won’t entrench the advantages of the fortunate few”.

She addressed the working classes directly, saying she would give them more control and put “social justice” at the heart of her government.

May began appointing her new Cabinet within an hour of taking office, and several posts went to “leave” supporters.

Later, she tapped Johnson as foreign secretary and Fox as secretary of state for worldwide trade.

Until Wednesday, May was the home secretary.

She is also expected to meet Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon in the coming days, with Sturgeon telling a press conference Wednesday that Brexit “does not apply to Scotland, as Scotland voted differently in the referendum”.

In his final question and answer session in the House of Commons, Cameron echoed a line he used to launch himself with in 2005, taunting Labour’s then-prime minister Tony Blair.

Prime ministers normally reside at 10 Downing Street, a Georgian residence with approximately 100 rooms just a few minutes’ walk from Parliament.

“I believe Theresa will provide strong and stable leadership in fulfilling the Conservative manifesto on which we were elected, and I wish her well in negotiating the best possible terms for Britain’s exit from the European Union”, he said in his farewell speech as he departed from Downing Street.

He is expected to make a statement in Downing Street highlighting how he has overseen Britain’s economic recovery, before heading to Buckingham Palace to offer his resignation.

She “kissed hands” with the Queen in a simple procedure at Buckingham Palace which made her the 13th holder of the post of Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury during Elizabeth II’s reign.

The Queen has subsequently invited Mrs Theresa May to form a new government.

May has been Britain’s Home Secretary in charge of immigration and law and order for the past six years. She has the tough task of calming the country and global financial markets after the upheaval that followed the referendum.

Cameron, who led the campaign to remain in the 28-member bloc Britain had joined in 1973, announced the morning after the June 23 referendum that he would stand down, triggering a leadership contest in the ruling Conservative Party.

Video: Theresa May: Who Is Our New PM?

The leading Leave campaigner said it was right that the minister given responsibility for heading Brexit negotiations should be “somebody who was at the heart of the Leave campaign”.

A spokeswoman for Mrs May said: “Civil servants have already been charged with finding a building to house the Brexit department – an indication of Theresa’s commitment to get on with delivering the verdict of European Union referendum”.