In less than a month, Theresa May’s premiership will be history. If she is remembered at all, it will mainly be for Brexit. She took on a near-impossible task, made it harder (her misjudged ‘red lines’ from autumn 2016 will always haunt her), and finally failed at it.
That had many consequences, not least the neglect of domestic policy. The burning injustices she so memorably listed on the Downing Street step are still blazing away. Poor social mobility, health inequality, racial bias in the justice system, a dysfunctional housing market and poor provision for mental health problems – all remain unresolved.
It is therefore understandable that Theresa May wants to use her last weeks in office to try to change that; trying to sign off new spending on education and mental health services outside the normal Treasury-controlled budgeting process, and legislating for ‘net zero’ emissions by 2050.
I think May’s diagnosis of those problems is convincing and I’m sympathetic to some of her prescriptions: more money for schools and – especially – colleges would be welcome.
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