There's Something About Theresa

I am strongly of the opinion that both Labour and the Conservatives are just as bad as one another, hence, in September 2016, in the wake of the EU referendum, I joined the Liberal Democrats.

This article isn't going to be a propaganda piece talking about why I think this is the right party -not only for me; for the country- but it only seems fair to admit to my biases early on and clear up any confusion.

Instead, this is an attempt to scrutinise Theresa May's behaviour in the lead up to the election. A comprehensive list of the things that have struck me as out of the ordinary over the last few weeks.

Theresa May: A summary

The United Kingdom's second female Prime Minister is something of a puzzle to most of us. Even the most discerning, politically aware voter could briefly cast an eye over Theresa May, with her immaculate pantsuits and inoffensive manner, and believe that maybe she really is the best person to offer us the Strong & Stable government she harks on about during any given speech or interview.

Theresa May's entire image is evocative of a trendy, confident grandmother. Albeit, a grandmother who's views are more in line with that of a 17th century French Monarch. (Kill the disabled! Burn the gays! Quell the revolution!)

One could almost feel sympathy for a women landed with the shit storm that is Brexit after David Cameron begrudgingly resigned in favour of leaving someone else to pick up the pieces.

Almost.

So far, the Prime Minister has offered us a few empty catchphrases, a few awful interviews, a suspiciously timed general election, and a series of questionable blunders.

Weird interviews

The few interviews the Prime Minister has agreed to do so far have been incredibly odd, and not odd in the usual way that seeing a politician on the One Show might be odd (In the same way as seeing your old secondary school teacher in a supermarket with an entire trolley full of nothing but cheap wine might be odd).

The first sign that something was wrong in this whole election debacle was the decision by Theresa May's staff to avoid journalists by locking them all in a room, something that understandably made lots of people very unhappy. While this reads like something from a dystopian novel, things only proceeded to get more and more weird.

From the very strange, slightly stiff One Show Interview, to her interview with Andrew Marr, it has become abundantly clear to those paying any attention that the Prime Minister doesn't want to talk to a camera, let alone to the public. A quick fire Q&A in the Sunday Times went some way to revealing the extent of this unwillingness to divulge personal information- or any information, for that matter.

On the 12th of May came two pictures showing the importance of perspective.

Of course, Twitter reacted accordingly to this ridiculous scenario.

The election

As if the Prime Minister's behaviour wasn't strange enough on its own, many people still remain concerned about both the timing and motivation behind what appears to be a rash, and expensive decision.

The first thing that strikes many journalists and political thinkers as odd is the fact that the Theresa May didn't appear to have prepared a manifesto before calling the election. No doubt this election has taken several months worth of planning, plenty of time for the policy wonks in the Conservative party to plan and release a fully costed and comprehensive manifesto.

However, the party appears to have scrambled to scrap together a manifesto full of empty catchphrases and insidious sounding policies almost designed to alienate the main supporters of the Conservative party.

In the wake of a referendum and an election that have left both the UK and the rest of the world reeling, this election not only seems odd, but unnecessary. Theresa May has arguably united the Conservative party and solidified the Conservative majority since David Cameron's departure. All in all, things seem to be ticking along, so why call a general election?

Here are the facts:

1. The Liberal Democrat vote share is gradually creeping back up. If Theresa May were aiming for a coalition government, she might consider the Liberal Democrats an easy target on which to blame any less pleasant policies or outcomes.
2. Questions are arising over whether May's actions are legitimate, considering the Conservative government was elected under the last manifesto, and therefore, the mandate given to David Cameron in 2015.
3. Brexit negotiations are going south, regardless of what the government asks us to believe. The European Union wants rid of us, and world leaders are tiring of our demands. We want everything without offering anything in return.

Here are the things I think are possible as a result of the aforementioned factors:

1. Theresa May is trying to lose this election.
2. She has been badly advised
3. Something is happening within the Conservative Party that's yet to come out

Why the election has been called, I can't say for certain, but this article offers some interesting insights and ideas. At the end of the day, only time will tell.