It’s summer party season in Westminster. Tonight it was the turn of Policy Exchange with the think tank securing a speech from Theresa May. In a buoyant mood after narrowly dodging a Tory rebellion on the EU withdrawal bill, the Prime Minister spoke about the need to respect the EU referendum result.
However, May’s speech was notable for two other reasons. Firstly in an apparent case of déjà vu the set began to dissolve around her – thanks to a gust of wind. Secondly, the Prime Minister used the opportunity to have a go at Michael Gove. With the Defra secretary earning a reputation for speaking at multiple think tank launches, May said she was relieved to be at one he wasn’t:
‘Those of you here this evening who are regulars of the summer party circuit will have realised by now that this is something of a collector’s event: it is a centre right think tank reception of which Michael Gove is not the guest speaker.
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