Every political leader and government goes through a phase when their spin doctors feel they need a relaunch. For some, the relaunch comes after a number of good years. For Theresa May, her relaunch came on the anniversary of her becoming Prime Minister – and after a rather tumultuous year.
As relaunches go, this wasn’t the standard speech where a leader at least gives the impression that they are moving onwards and upwards. Instead, it felt as though May was trying to make the best of a decision to downsize that she hadn’t taken. She couldn’t even promise to implement the recommendations of the Taylor Report, which she launched alongside her promise to stay on the path that she set out in her first speech in Downing Street a year go. Instead, her language around this review into employment rights was all rather vague, with lines like ‘substantial piece of work’, ‘contribution to the public debate’ and ’this report will provide the stimulus’.
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