'Matter of time' before Theresa May's minority government crumbles
Theresa May faces an "unsustainable" position after her election disaster and it is a question of when - not if - it falls apart.
Saturday 10 June 2017 19:09, UK
In office but not in much power. The rapid reappointment of five top Cabinet ministers, including Chancellor Philip Hammond, shows Theresa May's hand is neither strong nor stable.
An extensive reshuffle had been planned. It did not happen. There was no ceremonial walk down Downing Street.
It is worth noting where we were just before the PM called the snap election.
The Prime Minister had inherited David Cameron's 12-seat majority. She has now lost that.
She had a manifesto that had been voted on by a majority, limiting the House of Lords capacity to interfere on manifesto promises.
Now the House of Lords is free to use its legislative block on Tory manifesto promises that have not won majority support from the electorate, such as leaving the single market and the customs union.
The PM needs to pass a Queen's Speech in the next few days - with the help of the Democratic Unionist Party.
has created acute concern among some Conservatives, in particular Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson, over climate change denial and gay rights.
The PM had promised to strengthen her hand in negotiation with the EU.
Paris, Berlin and Brussels are now well aware that her hand is weaker not stronger.
So what happens if the first thing that happens is that the EU levies a so-called exit bill of tens of billions of pounds?
Does Mrs May have a mandate to threaten leaving with no deal? If time ran out would Parliament extend the deal? Does the House of Lords feel obliged to pass the Great Repeal Bill?
The PM has immediate problems because of her lack of MPs.
Many are also furious with a campaign lacking in vision and positivity, but also a strategic mistake.
The May strategy was to alienate "citizens of nowhere" and win over Labour working class heartlands. It failed.
On Thursday probably a majority of voters were Remain voters, and yet Mrs May targeted her Brexit efforts at a subset of Leave voters.
They were meant to hoover up millions of UKIP 2015 voters. Instead, Labour benefited the most.
Tory MPs report a wave of hostility from young voters and Tory voters too over Mrs May's Brexit plans.
In London, some Tory councillors and Tory aides to ministers voted Lib Dem.
Kensington and Battersea went to Labour.
In Downing Street Mrs May said only the Conservatives "have the legitimacy" to form a government.
And yet she said at almost every election campaign rally that if she lost just six seats she would have lost the election.
She is still in Downing Street - mainly because the Tory backbenchers can think of no better option.
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There is a myriad of pitfalls that await her. Any number could catalyse her exit from Downing Street.
One Conservative MP thinks she will last just six months.
Minority governments can last: Scotland has seen examples of that. But normally it requires avoiding controversial legislation that will test the discipline of a party.
The combination of no majority, a split party and having to pass dozens of pieces of controversial Brexit legislation seems completely unsustainable.
It is a matter of when, not if, it falls apart.