May told The Sunday Times she was touched by the support she received after her conference speech, including from her husband Philip

Did you feel nervous when it had been billed as a make-or-break speech?

There is a lot of hard work and preparation that goes into a speech like this and I do — believe it or not — look forward to it. Some of the most significant moments of my time as a politician have been on stage. The Police Federation at conference, Lancaster House, recently in Florence. They are important moments and I want to get them right.

Did you ever consider leaving the stage?

I am a very determined person so no, I didn’t.

For many of us watching, it felt like being trapped in someone’s anxiety dream — how did it feel for you?

It was really frustrating. As I said, so