Theresa May has vanished from the front of the Conservative website since losing her party its majority in the General Election, it was revealed today.
Labour MP Toby Perkins quizzed Tory First Secretary of State Damian Green over why the Prime Minister’s image no longer greets visitors to the Tory’s homepage in the Commons this afternoon.
May has been an ever-present on the front of the website since taking over as Prime Minister almost exactly a year ago, but has now been removed.
Speaking in Prime Minister’s Questions today, in which Green stood in for May, Perkins said: “Politicians are said to be here today and gone tomorrow but whatever tomorrow may bring the Prime Minister isn’t even here today to mark the end of her first year in power.
“I note for the first time since she’s become Prime Minister her image has now been removed from the front page of the Conservative Party website.
“Can the First Secretary tell us why she has gone from being the next Iron Lady to The Lady Vanishes?”
Green replied: “The Honorable Gentleman is ingenious in asking very personal questions and I commend him for it. Unfortunately he has got his own record on this subject.
“As recently as June last year the Honorable Gentleman said the leader of the Labour Party is not destined to become Prime Minister and he called on him to resign.
“I suggest he might want to make peace with his own front bench before he starts being rude about ours.”
Speaking after the Commons clash, the PM’s political spokesman said: “The website changes all the time. There are plenty of pictures of the Prime Minister on the Conservative party website.”
Asked if the party was now “embarrassed” by its leader, he replied “Absolutely not”.
The Conservatives focused its General Election campaign around May’s personal brand, with Tories being instructed to describe themselves as “Theresa May’s candidate” in the run up to the vote.
This tactic was echoed on the party’s website, and on election day itself a large picture of May dominated the home page.