Independent Media | Campaigning Journalism
Everyone’s making the same joke about Theresa May’s embarrassing U-turn [TWEETS]
Theresa May has been forced into an embarrassing U-turn over her ‘dementia tax’. Although older people will still have savings and assets taken away from them to fund social care. There’s just potentially going to be a cap on how much that will be. A cap which May allegedly planned all along, but which wasn’t mentioned in her manifesto and still hasn’t been given a figure. Despite the fact that she is the one who called this unexpected election.
Weakness
As a result of this absolute mess, many people are making very similar jokes about our current PM’s alleged strength and stability:
Nothing like a strong and stable U-turn. https://t.co/YDfDlktYUm
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) May 22, 2017
Is Theresa May about to announce U-turn on social care? Would that make her strong and stable, or weak and wobbly? pic.twitter.com/bdPqDzYuRk
— Michael Crick (@MichaelLCrick) May 22, 2017
The right are also picking up on this display of weakness and instability:
U-turn on the budget and now a U-turn on the manifesto. This lady is for turning.
— Nigel Farage (@Nigel_Farage) May 22, 2017
Our editorial @EveningStandard on May's u-turn on social care. At least this Manifesto wasn't carved onto a stone… https://t.co/qBj4aPV1IX
— George Osborne (@George_Osborne) May 22, 2017
Dishonesty
Another key complaint is honesty. Despite the fact that, just last week, The Daily Mail wrote on its front page: “at last, a PM not afraid to be honest with you”.
Why is @theresa_may so serially addicted to dishonesty? She makes stuff up over, and over, and over again. #YouCanTrustTheresa pic.twitter.com/4KSJ9RR9XO
— Owen Jones🌹 (@OwenJones84) May 22, 2017
After PM's u-turn on social care:
– still no idea what cap on care costs will be
– you still lose more if you die from dementia than cancer— Jessica Elgot (@jessicaelgot) May 22, 2017
Trouble with Tory u-turns is they're just as likely to u-turn on their previous u-turn as they are to u-turn on their subsequent u-turn.
— Hajo Meyer's Violin (@WarmongerHodges) May 22, 2017
Cowardice
Other people are pointing out that it’s unsurprising that May is too scared to stand up for her own policy. This being from a leader who avoids meeting the public, refuses to face the leader of the opposition, and refuses to give us a real account of who she is beyond meaningless slogans.
Theresa May's never fought for anything – except her own career. Spineless & terrified – not fit to govern Britain
— Paul Mason (@paulmasonnews) May 22, 2017
Laura Kuenssberg tells Theresa May her social care U-turn "looks like panic in the face of the opposition".
— Kevin Schofield (@PolhomeEditor) May 22, 2017
And people also aren’t forgetting the role the media must play in not letting May off the hook with this:
Dear journalists, you let the Tories get away with not costing their manifesto. It's your job to make them say how much the u-turn will cost
— Alex Nunns (@alexnunns) May 22, 2017
The same papers which gleefully backed the #dementiatax will be saying "see, Theresa May listens" when the Tories u-turn. https://t.co/nHYjpcKKk7
— Aaron Bastani (@AaronBastani) May 22, 2017
Wrong and unable
This election is showing the country what people who follow politics have known for a while. May is not cut out to be Prime Minister. She refuses to answer questions. She U-turns. And she blames others for her mistakes; in this latest instance blaming Jeremy Corbyn for pointing out the problems with her manifesto that she’s trying to spin her way out of.
It’s important that we see this U-turn for what it is. An attempt to minimise bad publicity while maintaining a policy that will penalise people for becoming old and in need of care.
Today (22 May) is the last day that you can register to vote. Make sure that you do. And make sure that you encourage others to do the same. Because the alternative is five more years of incompetence and cruelty.
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