Theresa May: Portrait of former prime minister unveiled

A portrait of Theresa May, Britain's second female prime minister, has been unveiled in Parliament.

Saied Dai painted the picture which will hang in Portcullis House, Parliament's office complex where many MPs work.

The £28,000 painting was commissioned by the Speaker's advisory committee on works of art.

Mrs May said the portrait was a "huge honour".

The former prime minister, who left Downing Street in May 2019, is portrayed holding a lily of the valley - a plant which usually flowers in the month of May.

Mr Dai said: "In this portrait, the aim was to produce not just a convincing physical likeness, but also a psychological characterisation, both individual and yet archetypal - imbued with symbolism and atmosphere.

"A good painting needs to be a revelation and also paradoxically, an enigma. It should possess an indefinable quality - in short, a mystery."

Mrs May, who is the MP for Maidenhead, has been described as a "well devoted Parliamentarian and a dedicated public servant" by fellow Conservative MP Dean Russell.

Mr Russell, who serves as chairman of the Speaker's advisory committee on works of art, said: "The Parliamentary art collection records those who have made an important contribution to politics and public service here in the UK.

"Few embody this more than Theresa May - our second female Prime Minister."