Video

Published: 1:15 PM July 24, 2019 Updated: 6:23 PM September 17, 2020

Theresa May and husband Philip reacting to an anti-Brexit protester shouting 'Stop Brexit!' during her farewell speech outside number 10. Picture: BBC - Credit: BBC

A protester has stolen the limelight from Theresa May during her farewell speech as she prepares to leave the office of prime minister.

Steve Bray almost gets the last word shouting "Stop Brexit" and interrupting Theresa May's speech pic.twitter.com/jTr9mGBwzE — Jono Read (@jonoread) July 24, 2019

Theresa May was midway through thanking her husband, Philip May, who had accompanied her at the podium outside No.10, before she was to head towards Buckingham Palace to formally offer her resignation to the Queen. "Finally and most of all, I want to thank my husband Philip, who has been my greatest supporter and my closest companion," she said.

From somewhere outside of Downing Street, a voice almost certainly belonging to full-time anti-Brexit activist Steve Bray, shouted a long, plaintive: "Stop Brexit!"

Theresa May paused and looked doubtful, but was saved by Philip interjecting to joke: "That wasn't me."

May responded to the protester, saying: "It think the answer to that is: 'I think not'," before continuing with her speech.

You may also want to watch:

It is not the first time that May has struggled to secure her legacy at potentially historic moments of her premiership. During her resignation speech in May, her voice broke with emotion, a moment that became emblematic of her failure to unite her party, or the country, on Brexit. But if she had been hoping to maintain control of the story this time around, she will be disappointed as the anti-Brexit protester stole the limelight.

Steve Bray has been ever-present around parliament since after the referendum, holding signs behind broadcasters on College Green, and more recently has been heard shouting anti-Brexit messages in the background of recent interviews surrounding the Tory leadership race.

Broadcaster Piers Morgan, retweeting a video of the moment, called it "Megaphone Steve's finest hour."