Theresa May MP

Former Prime Minister and Member of Parliament for Maidenhead

The life and times of our second woman Prime Minister are documented at length elsewhere!

Theresa has been the MP for Maidenhead since 1997 and it was in her capacity as constituency MP that she first supported our founder and Chief Executive, Ailsa Bosworth, who could not, at that time, access the treatment she needed. After the launch of the charity, in 2001, Theresa enthusiastically engaged with NRAS by attending local events and regularly meeting with Ailsa to hear about the issues that matter to people with RA. It was shortly after we were founded that she became our patron.

In her time as Home Secretary from 2010-16, Theresa continued to be generous with her more limited time and has continued to host our biennial Healthcare Champions Awards in the Houses of Parliament and to attend an annual event in the local area. Shortly before becoming Prime Minister, Theresa kindly facilitated a meeting with the then Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Stephen Crabb MP at our request. The productive meeting provided us with an opportunity to update Theresa and Stephen on the work of NRAS and the challenges faced by people with RA in accessing the welfare system. Now, as Prime Minister, we look forward to a renewed relationship with her as our patron whilst recognising her increased time pressures.

As a charity, we are apolitical and it’s important to state that we are likely to disagree at times with decisions made by governments of which ever political hue, but this should not prevent us from being a critical friend in order to be able to engage effectively.

Whilst very grateful for the patronage of the former Prime Minister, we continue to engage with politicians in all parties and in all areas of the UK.