Series of Unfortunate events: Theresa May's Conference speech

Theresa May went into the 2017 Conservative Conference with few options, but came out with just one: resignation. Ahead of today, May was bestowed with the monumental task to re-energise her party, demonstrate strong (and stable) leadership and to offer a clear message coupled with policies that would help win voters over in addition to offering clarity over Brexit. Instead, fate would choose to hand May disaster after disaster during her speech.

Disregarding the numerous calamities that beset May during her speech, the actual content May was proposing confirmed a leaning to the left that the One Nation Tory May has displayed ever since coming into power. Policies proposed included a review of mental health provision, £2 billion on new council houses and housebuilding initiatives, a cap on energy bills and a review of student university fees. Although a bid to help win back voters from Labour, this continuation in May’s marked departure from fiscal conservatism will certainly not go down well with the numerous Thatcherites in her party with it only being previously tolerated due to May’s prior success. With failure to clarify anything on Brexit after Boris’ best attempts to undermine the Treasury’s public stance on the matter, the issue of Brexit will continue to divide her party.

Unfortunately, these policies won’t be what people will be talking about in tomorrow’s papers. After a promising start, a series of calamities began to unfold. After fighting with a cough all week, May began to have a series of coughing fits during her speech. Despite clear determination to battle her way through with a bit of light humour, a cough sweet from Hammond and support through applause and standing ovations, the frequent pauses made for uncomfortable viewing from all. If things weren’t bad enough, a prankster managed to get his way past through security to hand a sheet reading P45 directly to the Prime Minister, claiming it to be “from Boris”. If the metaphor for her stuttering, failing, sickly premiership that was being undermined by members of her fractious cabinet wasn’t enough, behind May, her slogan of “Building a country that works for everyone” began to fall apart before the eyes of the audience.

Despite offering an apology to her party at the start of her speech where she accurately recognised the flaws in the Tory Campaign, after her calamitous speech today there is no chance of forgiveness from her party never mind loyalty. Although not explicitly stated, the second major reason, the Election Campaign swung in Labour’s favour was Corbyn’s own qualities as a leader. Corbyn managed to tap into people’s anger at the current system, at austerity, at struggling public services, at lack of affordable housing and at the status quo. If May were to ever hope of defeating Corbyn in an election, she’d have to go on the offensive, to attack his policies for being economically unsound and to offer a Conservative alternative. Although the proposed policies, did mark another step towards the centre, it offered nothing radical and there was no clear rallying message. Instead, the turn towards the left appeared reactionary and insipid even if it is part of May’s political beliefs.

Theresa May is simply being overshadowed by Corbyn and his supporters. It is much easier to organise rallies and protests against the status quo, against austerity and against the “Nasty Party”, home to snobs such as Rees-Mogg, than it is to attack it. With the chaos of her speech dwarfing its content, once what was an almost monumental task has been made impossible as the tabloids begin to print their cough pun front pages. With a May resignation prior to the next election almost inevitable now provided nothing major occurs between then and now (which after the past three years, I certainly won’t be ruling out), it looks the Tories will need time out in the wilderness. Corbyn’s premiership will almost certainly not live up to many of his supporter’s lofty expectations and the Conservatives do need time to recuperate and start refashioning their image away from austerity and division. By the time the election after that comes around and Brexit is concluded one way or another, the Tories will be ready for power. However before that, Labour will have to show they can win a majority, perhaps more difficult than they would believe.

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