Opinion: Why Theresa is my saint

But there is something very strange going on in what I rather pretentiously call my philosophy of life: I am actually beginning to trust a Conservative. Perhaps it is only temporary, just age and a gradual erosion of critical faculties.

What is still more unusual is that I am a life-long Labour voter. I do not intend withdrawing my support for Labour, although Mr Corbyn’s residency as Leader of the Opposition poses some problems for me, but in these unusual times, I think we need someone who gives every appearance of being calm and in control.

That person is … Theresa May.

There has, of course, been the distraction of the proposal to revive grammar schools. Can you imagine a more divisive policy than designating one of the schools in Scarborough a grammar school? Surely, no headteacher with a grain of integrity would want his or her school to strip the others of their most able pupils. Leaving that aside, Mrs May seems to me to have played a blinder.

Like most of us she seemed to be in the, “not really sure,” camp when it came to the question of in or out of Europe. Her lukewarm support for the Remain camp aroused the suspicion that she was doing the bare minimum to support Cabinet colleagues, but really her sympathies lay with Leave.

Since the vote, she has played a very canny, very patient game of waiting and watching. Anyone with sense would realise that we can’t just lay out a British position and expect all the other countries of the EU to roll over and agree to our terms. There have to be negotiating positions from which we move to a compromise.

And if there is one thing we British are good at, it is getting the most out of a compromise.

Contrast Mrs May’s style with that of Hilary Clinton.

Of the many things that went wrong for Mrs Clinton, not the least was her performance at delegate rallies. I’m sorry, but women just do not do the political rant very well. She was never convincing when she tried to whip the faithful into a frenzy. Sadly, Mr Trump was much better at it. No, far better to adopt the controlled manner of a Theresa May.

I shall watch her progress with interest. Let’s hope, for all our sakes, she fulfils the early promise shown.

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