Tonight there will be sighs of relief in CCHQ after Theresa May put in a solid – if imperfect – performance in the Sky / Channel 4 ‘Battle for Number 10’ programme. After a difficult week which saw the Tory lead drop to five points, the Prime Minister navigated her way through a range of tricky topics from her dementia tax U-turn to cuts to school funding.
Answering questions from the audience, May had the dubious honour of receiving the first heckle of the night for her claim that Labour’s manifesto was un-costed. However, despite some initial audience hostility, May managed to keep her cool. When an audience member asked her about the ‘so-called dementia tax’, May struck a more conciliatory tone than in her Andrew Neil interview. She calmly explained the reasoning behind her party’s controversial social care proposals (pointing out it would lessen the burden on the young) and promised a cap on costs, to be decided on consultation.
Britain’s best politics newsletters
You get two free articles each week when you sign up to The Spectator’s emails.
Already a subscriber? Log in
Comments
Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just $5 for 3 monthsAlready a subscriber? Log in