Theresa May breaks cover to make statement on her leadership in first appearance since disastrous conference speech
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Theresa May has finally broken cover, making a carefully scripted statement on her leadership.
It's her first appearance in public since her disastrous conference speech was upstaged by a stage invasion from a comedy prankster, a persistent cough and a shoddily constructed backdrop.
The Prime Minister made brief remarks after attending a coffee morning in her Maidenhead constituency.
She told reporters: “I’ve had a cold all this week. But I’m here today at a fantastic event that is raising money to support people and their families who are going through real difficulty.
“Now what the country needs is calm leadership and that’s what I’m providing with the full support of my cabinet.
“And next week I’m going to be updating MPs on my Florence speech, which has given real momentum to the Brexit talks.
“And I will also be introducing a draft bill to cap energy prices, which will stop ordinary working families being ripped off.”
(Image: PA)
Asked if she had a message for people in her party plotting to topple her, she risked accusations of the return of the Maybot, by repeating: “What I think is necessary for the country now, what the country needs is calm leadership. That’s exactly what I’m providing, and I’m providing that with the full support of my cabinet.”
It came as former Chairman of the Conservative Party admitted to masterminding a plot to oust the Prime Minister.
(Image: REUTERS)
Ex-minister Grant Shapps , who outed himself as the ringleader of the backroom rebellion, claims around 30 Tory MPs have privately told him they would back a move to force Mrs May to step down and call a leadership election.
And the gang of 30 reportedly includes five former Cabinet ministers.
Former Tory chairman admits masterminding plot to oust Theresa May
It’s short of the 48 needed to force a leadership election.
"They are Remainers, they are Brexit eers," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
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"A growing number of number of my colleagues, we realise that the solution isn't to bury our heads in the sand and just hope things will get better.
"It never worked out for Brown or Major and I don't think it is going to work out here either."
Mrs May's closest cabinet aide rushed to her defence last night, as news of the rebellion began to break.
Damian Green, Mrs May's deputy in all but name, ridiculed suggestions that the Prime Minister should quit
He told the audience of BBC Question Time: “The idea that somebody gets a cold at work, that that renders them the wrong person for the job, or even more that because some unfunny pillock pulls a practical joke, that that is in any way an important political event is complete nonsense.
“The shame is that the content of the speech obviously got lost despite the fact that with huge resilience that she got through it.
And he insisted Mrs May “will make a success of this government.