On 10 May, during a question and answer session with workers at Linney Manufacturing in Mansfield, an audience member asked Theresa May a question about vegan school meals. Without a prepared textbook response, May absolutely lost it. And it showed just how ‘unstable’ she really is.
The Q&A
During a campaign visit to Linney, in Adamsway, May spoke to employees at Linney Manufacturing about the need for a booming local economy after Brexit. She said: “The next five years… [would be] crucial to get the right and best future for the UK.” She also added:
It’s important that we have support and backup when people need that support, but if we are going to help people in life to get a job and provide for a family and have their own home, then we need to ensure that we have a strong economy.
But when it came to offering support to people in the room, on an issue that didn’t affect May, she didn’t bother. During the Q&A session, a woman asked May a question about providing vegan school meal options. It was apparently the first time she’d ever been asked about it, and her response completely showed it:
Theresa May questioned about veganism while on the campaign trail… https://t.co/f1gOEcslmC via @YouTube
— Vegan London / London Vegans (@LondonVegan) May 22, 2017
May not only struggled to answer the woman’s question because she didn’t have a prepared response, but her reasoning also suggested a complete lack of empathy. Because she eats meat, she couldn’t see why people who don’t should have access to school dinners. Talk about inclusion.
The Conservatives’ manifesto has since revealed the party plans to scrap free school dinners anyway, forcing more vulnerable children to suffer.
Vs Corbyn
Compare this to Corbyn’s ability to respond to an unknown question and it’s crystal clear which leader is the ‘strong and stable’ one. Take his interview with Sky News host Sophy Ridge on Sunday 21 May. As reported by The Canary, Ridge attempted to ‘ambush’ the Labour leader on several occasions. She not only tried to smear him over an article in the Labour Briefing magazine (from 1984) but she also tried to sully his reputation. In both instances, he skilfully and calmly dismantled Ridge’s assertions.
The rest of the gang
Likewise, consider others in May’s gang and their ability to ‘answer’ questions and you’ll start to see a pattern emerge. On 21 May, Work and Pensions Secretary Damian Green appeared on The Andrew Marr Show. When asked about the lack of funding detail in the Conservative manifesto, Green failed to explain how his party plans to fund its policies and who will be affected by the changes.
Furthermore, take Boris Johnson’s appearance on ITV’s Peston on Sunday. He was caught sneaking a look at host Robert Peston’s interview notes in, as some have suggested, an attempt to not only prepare a response but also to distract the host and guests from discussing important policy issues.
While May attempts to promote her MPs and the Tories in general as a strong party, their inability to answer a simple question looks like anything but. In fact, all of them appear to be dismantling the ‘strong and stable’ mantra with every public appearance.
Get Involved!
– Register to vote. The deadline is 11.59pm (23:59) 22 May.
– Discuss the key policy issues with family members, colleagues and neighbours. And organise! Join (and participate in the activities of) a union, an activist group, and/or a political party.
– Read more Canary articles on the 2017 general election.
Featured image via screengrab
