Turntable May

I was one of the Thatcher generation. The Iron Lady. Her famous phrase was "This lady's not for turning." So what about Mrs May? It seems clear that her phrase should be "You spin me right round, baby, right round like a record".

Maybe it should have been obvious, the Remainer turned Brexiteer - and not even a reluctant Brexiteer. But Mrs May plays her cards very close to her chest, possibly even keeping them up her sleeves, and it was clear how abandoning the European Court of Justice would appeal to her. The Home Office would have a much freer rein.

It is clear that, as well as 'sovereignty', immigration is a core issue for her. She is doubling the charge levied on businesses employing immigrants. She still includes students in the immigration statistics. So far, so UKIP, you might think, but worker representatives on company boards?

No point looking at the manifesto - no promises there to come back and bite her. Equally, no promises there to tell us what Mayism is. Let's consider what she has pushed as 'policy'. Worker representatives, more market regulation (for example, energy price caps), tax increases, more business regulation (for example, allowing the government to delay or prevent mergers), reducing stop and search (followed by a large increase in knife crime), more government borrowing, and - of course - her pay-your-own-way social care policy, targeting the rich -"We consider it more equitable...than the [Dilnot proposals], which benefited a small number of wealthy people."

No wonder Labour is more Marxist than China - any less so and they would be Conservatives.

Of course if Mrs May gets in, who knows what actual policies will be chosen. Worker reps - binned, dementia tax - binned, national insurance tax hike - binned, JAMS - binned, no early election - binned, Hinkley Point review - binned. She wheels out her favourite ideas, after discussing them only with her inner cabal, and then abandons them as soon as the harsh light of reality shows their manifest flaws.**

Currently she is pushing energy price caps - at the cost of binning the winter fuel allowance, free breakfasts for primary children* - at the cost of binning free lunches (shades of 'milk snatcher' Thatcher there), and grammar schools - at the cost of reducing funding for other schools.

Maybe it is a good thing that she doesn't just keep pushing. But claiming her U-turns are simply "clarifications"? Boldly announcing flagship policies that she drops in a week? Is this someone we want in charge of negotiating our future status in Europe?

*This policy has also now been disposed of. There have been further U-turns since this post but it is frankly too depressing to list any more.

**Ironically she has also abandoned her advisers after their flaws appeared in the election.