Theresa May's tenure as Home Secretary

Theresa May in her 2010 official portrait
Home Secretary 12 May 2010 – 13 July 2016
Party	Conservative
Election	2010, 2015
Nominated by	David Cameron
Appointed by	Elizabeth II
← Alan Johnson Amber Rudd →

This article is part of a series about Theresa May
Political positions Electoral history MP for Maidenhead One-nation conservatism Home Secretary Home Office under Theresa May Hostile Environment Policy National Crime Agency Operation Yewtree Snooper's Charter 2016 leadership election Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Premiership International trips First ministry and term First ministry (majority) Brexit Invocation of Article 50 Aftermath of Brexit 2017 local elections 2017 general election Second ministry and term Second ministry (minority) Conservative–DUP agreement List of departures 2018 reshuffle Chequers Agreement Grenfell Tower fire Running through fields of wheat "Strong and stable" "Brexit means Brexit" Salisbury poisonings EU Withdrawal Agreement House of Commons vote of confidence 2019 leadership election Resignation Honours Bibliography The Abuse of Power
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Theresa May served as home secretary from 2010 until 2016. As a member of David Cameron's first government May was appointed as home secretary on 12 May 2010, shortly after Cameron became prime minister, and continued in the post as part of the Cameron's second government following the 2015 general election. She held the post until she succeeded Cameron as prime minister on 13 July 2016.

May was the second woman to be appointed as home secretary after Jacqui Smith, and the fourth woman to hold one of the Great Offices of State. The longest-serving home secretary since James Chuter Ede over 60 years previously, May pursued reform of the police, took a harder line on drug policy and introduced restrictions on immigration.

During her tenure she pursued reform of the Police Federation, implemented a harder line on drugs policy including banning khat and brought in further restrictions on immigration. She oversaw the introduction of elected police and crime commissioners, police investigations including Operation Yewtree, the deportation of Abu Qatada and the creation of the College of Policing and the National Crime Agency. May ascended to the premiership in July 2016 following the resignation of David Cameron as prime minister and Conservative leader amid the Brexit result, and appointed Amber Rudd as her successor in the home office.