We didn't refer to male PMs as 'Mr Whatever' so why does everyone keep calling May 'Mrs May'?

[bakedstrawberry]

I find it jarring.

The correct form is (Honorific) + (Surname) comma The Prime Minster.

This. It’s the whole House of Commons thing. It really irritates me when Americans refer to “Prime Minister Surname”.

@M4J4

*those articles are a month old, he's not PM anymore
*

Really? I hadn’t realised.

I clearly said it was a quick google. The point stands, we do refer to politicians as Title Surname.

Err, yes we do refer to male politicians as ‘Mr XYZ’. Here’s a random story I picked from the BBC News site today:

Anti-Semitism row: John McDonnell would welcome Labour probe
10 March 2019
Labour's John McDonnell has welcomed a potential investigation into allegations of anti-Semitism in his party [...] On Friday, the chair of Labour peers wrote to party leader Mr Corbyn to express "alarm" at the "ongoing failure" to resolve the issue [...] Asked about the investigation, Mr McDonnell told BBC One's Andrew Marr Show: "I'm hoping we will get a clean bill of health about how we are handling things. [...] The Sunday Times has reported claims that two of Mr Corbyn's closest aides had intervened in the party's disciplinary processes to lift the suspension of an activist accused of anti-Semitism.

I’m just looking at the top political story on the Mail Online right now and it also refers to Mr Corbyn, Mr Rees-Mogg, Mr Cox, Mr Juncker, Mr Barclay and Mr Boles.

I remember male PMs being referred to as Mr Surname; other male politicians still are - here's a reference to the leader of the opposition - from a BBC News Article of 03.03.2019

"A man has been arrested after an egg was thrown at Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn in north London.
It happened as Mr Corbyn was visiting a mosque in Seven Sisters Road, not far from where the MP lives, just before 16:00 GMT on Sunday.
The Metropolitan Police said a 41-year-old man was "quickly detained by officers on scene" and arrested on suspicion of assault.
The man is in custody at a north London police station, the force said.
Mr Corbyn had been visiting the Finsbury Park Mosque and Muslim Welfare House to coincide with Visit My Mosque Day."

I only remember Cameron Blair etc being called their given names

I hate they use Mrs

We used to call that being polite.

I recall male prime ministers being called full name at beginning of news story (or whatever) then Mr Surname thereafter.

I don’t think Theresa May is being treated differently at all.

By full name I mean first name +. Surname, not actual full name!

It should be Ms May ffs. We live in the US where Ms is the norm and carries no stigma. Mrs is sexist bullshit in a professional capacity

That's house style. It varies from publication to publication so for some Prime Minister Theresa May at first reference, Mrs May thereafter (or David Cameron /Mr Cameron) for some. Others just use last names.

Not sexism, just publication style. They all have a style book.

I've heard her referred to as Theresa May quite a lot (by formal newscasters), whereas am pretty sure Mrs Thatcher was always referred to as Mrs and not Margaret Thatcher .

When TM first became PM, it didn't half throw me when newsreaders referred to "May and Hammond". I kept wondering where Clarkson was.

It should be Ms May ffs. We live in the US where Ms is the norm and carries no stigma. Mrs is sexist bullshit in a professional capacity I'm a Ms myself but I LOATHE U.S. newspapers' imposition of it even when women style themselves differently. Angela Merkel is the most powerful woman in the world and has NEVER referred to herself as Ms, but yeah, some sub-editor who's never left New Jersey knows better. It's so sexist and patronising - and of course it's only women who are disrespected in this way.

Generally speaking I think titles are obsolete and should be avoided - so Prime MinisterTheresa May on first reference and May thereafter.

Schnitzel - I think it was Boris who called Emily Thornberry by her married name, Lady XXX. The Speaker made him apologise.

Boris might have done as well but May had to apologise (rather gracelessly) in parliament metro.co.uk/2017/02/06/prime-minister-apologises-for-calling-shadow-foreign-secretary-lady-nugee-6431741/

^^ Bercow made Johnson apologise because he referred to her by the title of her spouse and was very dismissive of it...

Maybe somebody asked her ?