The Skripal case has woken up the bloody difficult woman in Theresa May – and it might just save her leadership
As a Prime Minister, Theresa May has many weak points. Her inability to keep a lid on tensions within the Conservative party is well documented, for example, while her robotic manner means she has failed to shed her “Maybot” image, earned during last year’s disastrous general election campaign.
As a home secretary, she was far more credible and this week marked a return to that form. In dealing with the Sergei Skripal case, the “bloody difficult woman” has woken up and we’ve been treated to a rare moment of sure-footedness. She has succeeded in securing the support of allies including Nato, the UN, the US and the EU, with fellow leaders queuing up to condemn the actions of the Russian state.
With her consistent, robust but measured approach the Prime Minister even won the support of many opposition MPs, and indeed the public at large. During yesterday’s trip to Salisbury she was cheered and applauded, and when a young woman went to fist bump the Prime Minister, miraculously May didn’t mess it up.
Contrast that with Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who was jeered in the Commons, then derided and contradicted by his own team – including shadow cabinet ministers – for taking a student debating team approach to the matter.
His failure to support the government in condemning Russia outraged backbenchers, and was hardly improved by a subsequent mealy-mouthed change of emphasis. Today he finally conceded that “evidence points towards Russia” but still there was no condemnation of the state. Will it be enough to placate those who were angered by he and his spokesman? As the week closes the threat of the third MP rebellion of his leadership has not fully gone away.
For Corbyn’s supporters – as distinct from Labour’s – his stance will be yet more evidence that he is a man of principle. But his appeal has still not translated beyond this core following: the latest YouGov figures had May seven points ahead as “Best Prime Minister” of the two. This week is likely to have widened that gap.
May is also nicely lined up for next week’s European Council. Unlike December’s meeting, there is widespread confidence that an agreement on transition will be reached, hitting the PM’s own deadline and making it two stages down, one to go.
Brexit negotiations might have appeared messy, but if she pulls it off May could finally face the naysayers down.