"Glass Cliff" theory

[NewNameGuy]

When Theresa May came to power there was much talk of the "glass cliff", that a Woman had been put into this impossible situation and doomed to fail, presumably to prevent a man taking the fall and to make a women look bad.

If you thought this, how do you compare with Boris taking power in a worse position?

My view is that May was a capable politician who did the best that could be done in the circumstance, not the patronising idea that she was some kind of "pawn of the patriarchy".

That’s nice, dear.

I think there's little doubt that Boris will get away with things that would have seen Theresa crucified.
However I disagree that she was a capable politician in an impossible environment. I think she was an incompetent politician in a difficult one, and pretty much made the wrong call at almost every stage of the process.
That said, I still think Boris is worse.

Well I suppose 'capable' is generous actually!

But do you think she got to pm as the 'best candidate' or pushed into it?

But do you think she got to pm as the 'best candidate' or pushed into it?

Sort of both - she was the best of the bunch who were standing at that point. Boris had backed away from what he presumably knew was a poisoned chalice.

I think the glass cliff business it unlikely. I would say many in politics knew anyone trying to make it all work would fail and were happy to have anyone else do it but themselves. They are hardly going to care whether the person was a man or a woman.

And I don't think anyone really thinks she failed because she was a woman.

I read that as "prawn of the patriarchy". Sorry, it's stuck in my head now.

I don't think you understand the glass cliff. Theresa May did not take the country through Brexit, did she? And her career seems to have ended with her resignation.

Damnit Karabair, I was just about to point out that everyone knows it’s Prawn of the Patriarchy.

As you were lovely Mumsnetters.

Did she not get the top job by being wise enough to keep her gob shut when the others were making a tit of themselves and eliminating themselves?

Not a great politician but if she got up to any of the antics Boris did she wouldn't have a chance. Imagine a female politician who had affairs, was a potential abuser and had kids all over the place.

Yeah the men didn't stand aside and let her get the job (although Boris himself may have done), and she kept it for three years.
I don't think Boris will keep the job three years, so is it him who got the glass cliff job?