Theresa May failed to achieve the minimum requirement of a campaign event this week, by forgetting which town she was actually visiting. Her botched attempt to cover the gaffe only heaped misery on embarrassment.
The interview from hell
There might be a charming way to recover from a blunder like this one. But Theresa May is not known for her silver tongue. So when she managed to forget the name of the town she was visiting, this happened:
When your minders take you to an empty factory for a photo shoot but forget to tell you where it is…#GE2017 pic.twitter.com/qjacApA6Xh
— Cameroon Chameleon (@davecameroon) April 28, 2017
Calamity May
The opening days of May’s campaign have been calamitous. First, the PM decided she would refuse the TV debates. This led to ITV and opposition leaders placing the Prime Minister in an untenable position. May has barely been visible. And when she has, the results have been less than rousing:
Theresa May's speech sending waves of inspiration & hope through this joyous working class crowd. pic.twitter.com/ZnmEXZu745
— joe heenan (@joeheenan) April 20, 2017
She also managed to lose three of her key aides in the first week of her campaign. This included resignations from her Director of Communications and her Press Secretary.
Meanwhile, the opposition leaders have been hitting the road, creating excitement around their campaigns. And there has been a surge in bets for Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn to become the next Prime Minister. A poll, albeit an unscientific one, of over 165,000 viewers on ITV‘s This Morning concluded with 68% of viewers wanting to see Corbyn in Number 10. Just 19% wished to see Theresa May win the general election.
The end game
Theresa May called the snap election hoping that positive polling and a media universally hostile to her opponent would guarantee victory. The PM has made a political gamble. By winning an election pre-Brexit, she would avoid a potential ouster as a hard Tory Brexit becomes reality. But just days into the campaign, it’s becoming clear that this election is no cake walk. UK voters finally have a real choice at the ballot box.
Between her callous policies and refusal to engage with those outside the Westminster bubble, Theresa May is making that choice easier for many people.
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