Pre-Freudian slip

Theresa May is chairing a discussion with a set of Conservative PPCs on ‘job clubs’, as part of this afternoon’s focus on welfare reform.  She kicks off asking one of the Tory PPCs on the panel, Maggie Throup, to talk about job clubs in her area: “So, Maggie, tell us about…”. Problem is, May addresses her remarks at the wrong PPC, Suzy Davis. Mistake realised, she wheels round and puts the same question to the actual Maggie Throup.  Not a good start.

It’s picked up since. The welfare adviser David Freud, who jumped ship from Labour to the Tories, is now on stage. And he gets a cheer when he says “I’ve always been a Conservative.”.

This is a significant time for Freud. One of the key announcements of the conference so far has effectively been an extension of his welfare agenda. But, as Fraser said on Monday, that’s not enough. You suspect Freud realises this: I hear that he’s quite receptive to IDS’s recent proposals for a dynamic benefits system.