May served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2016 to 2019. Assuming office following the 2016 Brexit referendum, she was tasked with one of the most intractable challenges of any post-war Prime Minister, and successfully negotiated a withdrawal deal with the EU in late 2018. Beyond Brexit, May reversed course on the Conservative government’s controversial programme of austerity, delivering the largest single cash-boost to the NHS in its history, and championed human rights and social justice initiatives, such as ending modern slavery.

The Benazir Bhutto Memorial Lecture was established to honour the life and legacy of Benazir Bhutto, the first female leader of a majority-Muslim country, and a former President of the Oxford Union.

ABOUT THE OXFORD UNION SOCIETY: The Oxford Union is the world’s most prestigious debating society, with an unparalleled reputation for bringing international guests and speakers to Oxford. Since 1823, the Union has been promoting debate and discussion not just in Oxford University, but across the globe.