Theresa May’s tumultuous period as prime minister to be explored in documentary

By Naomi Clarke, PA Senior Entertainment Reporter

Theresa May’s years as UK prime minister during a tumultuous period in British politics are to be explored in a new ITV documentary.

The programme, with a working title of Theresa May: The Accidental PM, will chart her rise through the political ranks from being elected as an MP in 1997 to taking over from David Cameron following his resignation after the Brexit referendum in 2016.

ITV said the project will offer “unique access” to the former UK prime minister and will include “the most frank and revealing account of her period in office”.

The programme will explore what it was like to be a female prime minister, after she became the second in history following Margaret Thatcher who served from 1979 to 1990.

Delving into Mrs May’s three-year premiership, it will document how she came to power in 2016, the snap general election of 2017 leading to a hung Parliament, the UK government’s Brexit negotiations, as well as the votes of no confidence and the rejection of her draft EU withdrawal agreements.

It will also cover the Grenfell disaster, the Windrush scandal and her relationship with former US president Donald Trump as well as her life after Downing Street as an outspoken backbencher.

Earlier this month she announced she was standing down as MP for Maidenhead after a 27-year parliamentary career.

The documentary will feature clips of her at home with husband Phillip, rarely seen archive footage and insights into the knock-on effects of her premiership on politics in following years.

Former home secretary Suella Braverman, Tory peer Gavin Barwell and Amber Rudd, who served as home secretary in Mrs May’s cabinet, are among the key advisers and politicians who will feature in the documentary.

The documentary will be produced and directed by Sam Collyns and executive produced by Neil Grant and Adam Wishart.

Mr Grant, executive producer for The Slate Works, said: “Theresa May has never given access like this before.

“Full, frank and revelatory, this is a rare insight into power and politics at a time of turmoil, turbulence and betrayal.”

The controller of current affairs for ITV, Tom Giles, said: “We wanted to produce a film that not only provides a vivid insight into a tumultuous period of recent British history, with ramifications that are still continuing, but that explores a woman who became a leading figure in British politics in over a quarter of a century as MP, party chairman, home secretary and prime minister.”