THERE was a large neon sign hanging over Theresa May’s head during this week’s PMQs; it repeatedly flashed: 21-point lead, 21-point lead.
As she entered the Commons arena to begin the election campaign, the Tory berserkers let rip a full-throated cheer; when Jezza entered seconds later, there was total silence from the Labour benches. Makes you think who will be in Downing Street come June 9.
It was clear from the off where the focus of the Tories’ election campaign will be: leadership.
Alberto Costa, the Glaswegian Tory for South Leicestershire, was first up to declare helpfully: “Strong countries need strong leaders”; you can see the campaign billboard poster already. Apart from Theresa May, who else was there, asked the Scot to Tory hoots.
Underscoring the personal line of attack, Mother Theresa made sure that whenever a Labour backbencher had a pop at her, she kindly pointed out how the comrade had failed to back Mr C for the party leadership and asked how could they urge voters to choose him to lead the country when they couldn’t choose him to lead their party.
Jezza sought to burst the May bubble by asking how she could boast that the economy was going so swimmingly when wages were lower, debt was up, child poverty was up and pensioner poverty was up. “She says it is about leadership yet she refuses to defend her record in television debates. It is not hard to see why.”
Mrs M is adamant that she won’t take part in TV head-to-heads, presumably because she realises she has more to lose from doing them than her opponents.
SNP champion Angus Robertson stood up to urge the PM to condemn the use of the word “saboteurs” to describe her opponents but she didn’t and made clear that the likes of Mr R were simply seeking to “frustrate the process” of Brexit.
When she came out with the line “I might also suggest to the Scottish Nationalists that now is the time...” a row of SNP MPs jumped up in a Mexican wave of incredulity; “now is not the time,” was, of course, the line Mother T gave for not facilitating another vote on Scottish independence.
Then came the most poignant moment. Labour’s Yvette Cooper rose and said: “The PM yesterday said she was calling a general election because Parliament was blocking Brexit but three-quarters of MPs and two-thirds of the Lords voted for Article 50. So that’s not true, is it?
“And a month ago she told her official spokesman to rule out an early general election and that wasn’t true either was it? She wants us to believe she is a woman of her word. Isn’t the truth that we cannot believe a single word she says.”
Suddenly, Labour hearts began to beat again; socialist MPs found their voices and shouted their support enthusiastically. The PM looked taken aback.
No doubt, as the election campaign begins, many comrades will be thinking if only…
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