to disapprove of Theresa May's policy direction

[longfingernails]

The Tories should be proud capitalists, championing a dynamic entrepreneurial society and a market economy. Government should invest in infrastructure, education, planning and skills - and then get out of the way as fast as possible! Osborne, for all his many faults, succeeded on unemployment. The key to that was a flexible labour market, cutting the unproductive public sector, setting low corporation taxes, welfare restraint and cutting bureaucracy.

Instead, May talks about energy bill capping, a policy copied from Red Ed Miliband! She talks about enshrining the EU's red tape into British law, and even extending it, with endless workers' councils, etc. The disease has spread to Scotland too, with Ruth Davidson u-turning on prescription charges.

So far the sound money free marketeers on the backbenches have reined in Theresa May's worst statist instincts. Philip Hammond was forced to backtrack on his appalling tax increase on contractors. But once she gets elected with a large majority of supine MPs who owe her their allegiance, who will stop the Tories under her watch adopting second rate Kinnock style policies? The Tories should aim to be more than Labour-lite.

I am quite disappointed in May. Michael Gove would have been a far superior Prime Minister. She should not take natural conservatives for granted. It's true that there is no real alternative today, but who knows what tomorrow will bring?

I'm on this purely for the rubber necking and I'm not going to lie about it.

Are you being paid op?

I'm with MagicTractor

No, I am not paid (apart from via my job which has nothing to do with politics).

I just want to make the point that Tories should act like Tories, instead of a subpar Neil Kinnock tribute band.

What's a flexible labour market?
Zero hours? Low wage? Insecurity?

Michael Gove would have been a far superior Prime Minister

Are you Sarah Vine OP?

It's much easier for an employer to take a chance on someone and offer them a job if they have some flexibility in reducing headcount if business goes bad, or if they can easily get rid of unproductive or disruptive workers, or if they don't have to fill in a thousand forms each time.

It's a major reason Britain has low unemployment compared to our peers.

flexibility in reducing headcount

Theresa May is awful. Absolutely wooden, with no sense of fun, and above all, quasi-socialist policies like energy caps.

Her Question Time appearance could have been a chance to reenergise the Tory campaign by promoting capitalism, free markets, competition and choice, unlimited skilled immigration, zero unskilled immigration, investment in infrastructure, deep public spending cuts, clamping down on the union menace, and cutbacks to welfare and foreign aid.

Instead she waffled on about the idiotic dementia social care scheme.

The only reason I will still be lending her my vote is because of the alternative. Corbyn thinks that businesses are doing well because of the corporation tax cuts, and doesn't see the obvious implication of a rise.

But as soon as she's elected, I would support a challenge to her leadership. I suggest Priti Patel, Michael Fallon etc could all make far superior alternatives.

Michael Gove would have been a far superior Prime Minister hahahahahaha this is a great goady joke thread, I'll give you that

Promoting deep public spending cuts and cutbacks to welfare? I assume you're doing well for yourself OP. Can you not conceive of ever being in a position where public services and welfare might help you? Where you might be in desperate need of them? I am consistently baffled by the utter selfishness and shortsightedness of this sort of stance.

We can cut international aid with minimal consequences. Just one example of easy government expenditure cuts.

We still have an eye wateringly high deficit. There is nothing fair about poor people in Britain paying taxes directly and in debt interest so that dictators in third world countries can siphon off foreign aid payments for their helicopters and limousines.

The strong and stable leader is scrapping her party's manifesto.

Another triumph for the many. Another fuck you to the world.
Another desperate grab for the vote.

I admire May for having the balls to spin round and round, and to wobble, to tell other leaders that they are weak and a threat to the British people.

TM for PM - the bringer of joy and tree hugging philosophy.

God Save the MayBot

I'm waiting for the enquiry into why our security services/police ( yeah, you know those unproductive public sector workers who keep us safe)
were informed five times by members of the public about Salmon Abedi,
I wonder if it might be down to slashing and gutting?

because either they didn't have the resources to investigate or they are not only neglectful but incompetent.

Both of those are terrifying.

Of course it's down to cuts, TheRollingCrone

Rape apologists and fraudsters are more worthwhile of time and support than actual voters.

Michael Gove would have been a far superior Prime Minister

I've been through my entire catalogue of gifs and I can't find anything to do this justice!

Ermergency Mayhem I have obviously lost my ironic posting tone. Doh!

Don't know where the erroneous "emergency" came from

Oh I've hurt myself laughing at Michaels Gove & Fallon being superior candidates

Gove would have..

No. I can't bring myself to type it.

Op I could get with you on free market economics as a theory - not that I agree but there is some merit there and then you ruined it when you threw in Gove - his impact on Education was overly interventionist and controlling, test, test, test is not education education education. And using your own experience and applying it as a model for everyone else is a far cry from a robust intellectual approach to education - where we need evidence, evidence, evidence!

Yanbu to disapprove of Theresa May - she's terrible. YABU to prefer Gove

I was agreeing with you, Rolling. I've been getting far too carried away with the sarcastic tone on MN today. Apologies