Theresa May could learn a lot from Emmanuel Macron

Theresa May hosts Emmanuel Macron at Sandhurst tomorrow, an encounter that is unlikely to paint the British Prime Minister in a flattering light. Their styles of leadership are chalk and fromage, one assertive and confident, the other apologetic and diffident.

In particular, May’s growing custom for contrition is eroding her authority. Unless she’s personally responsible for spreading Aussie flu why did May say sorry for the recent NHS crisis? It’s not a Prime Minister’s job to grovel to the public; it’s her ministers. But now she’s set a precedent and so every time something goes wrong her opponents will demand an apology. If she refuses, they’ll say she’s callous.

Macron doesn’t do apologies. The over-confident youngster, still a teenager when May entered Parliament in 1997, believes that in politics attack is the best form of defence. It throws opponents off-guard, exposes their hypocrisy and wins over floating voters. Hence his growing popularity in France, with the most recent poll