Theresa May’s not having a good few weeks. With Tories scrambling to either criticise their leader or covertly campaign to be the next leader, May’s premiership appears to be on shaky ground once more. Add to this a backlash from Conservative Brexiteers and a government Brexit forecast leak and it’s safe to conclude things aren’t about to get better anytime soon.
Now it seems she can’t even rely on her European allies for support. ITV’s Robert Peston reports that May was the punchline to a joke Angela Merkel told hacks at Davos. He says that the German chancellor had journalists in stitched when she told a story about May’s negotiating position:
‘Merkel said that when she asks Mrs May what she wants the shape of the UK’s relationship with the EU to be, Mrs May says “make me an offer”.
To which Mrs Merkel says, “but you’re leaving – we don’t have to make you an offer. Come on what do you want?”
To which Mrs May replies “make me an offer”.
And so, according to Mrs Merkel, the two find themselves trapped in a recurring loop of “what do you want?” and “make me an offer”.’
Still, Mr S suspects Merkel’s options for material were somewhat limited. For one, Merkel couldn’t touch the issue of May not having a Conservative majority what with Merkel currently not having a working majority herself. It’s been months since the German elections which saw a disappointing result for Merkel’s party – and talks to forge a German coalition government are still not complete, having stalled over refugee issues.
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