“There is no May-ism"”
With these four words, Theresa May today finally distanced herself from accusations she wants to be compared to Margaret Thatcher and solidly defined what brand of Conservatism she wants people to vote for in the General Election.
Well, she thought she did.
“There is no ‘Mayism’. I know you journalists like to write about it. There is good solid Conservatism, which puts the interests of the country and the interests of ordinary working people at the heart of everything we do in government,” she said at the launch of the Tory election manifesto.
Unfortunately for the PM, journalists continued to write about it - this article for instance.
And this.
Elsewhere people had their own definitions.
And it turns out there is an antidote.
The Conservative Party has been accused of running a overtly presidential campaign - highlighting the personal qualities of the prime minister and downplaying the role of the party itself.
Speaking in the Labour held seat of Halifax this morning, May said her policy programme was for a “a stronger, fairer, more prosperous Britain”.
The Conservative manifesto, titled “Forward, Together”, junks much of David Cameron’s platform including the triple-lock mechanism for guaranteeing a rise in the state pension and the tax lock preventing any rise in VAT, national insurance or income tax.
May, who has often been compared to Thatcher, distanced herself from the legacy of the country’s only other female leader by rejecting the “cult of selfish individualism”.