Tories’ wasted week

AFTER a disastrous election and weeks of leadership speculation and Cabinet infighting, the end of the Parliamentary term last week should have allowed ministers to reassert their authority and take the fight to Labour.

Instead, it has been the familiar story of own goals and missed opportunities.

For reasons which are unclear to this paper and doubtless many traditional Tories, equalities minister Justine Greening launched a string of radical social policies – from allowing anyone to change gender without a doctor’s approval to permitting prostitutes to give blood.

Then the Trade Secretary’s visit to the US – and warm words from President Trump over a deal – was overshadowed (as Stephen Glover argues on Page 19) by a juvenile row over chlorine-washed chicken.

Inflated beyond all proportion by the BBC, it nonetheless gained momentum because ministers couldn’t agree their lines.

The bigger mistake was that senior ministers failed entirely to exploit the end of Labour’s fragile truce, which saw Blairites and shadow ministers turn on each other over Brexit.

But their biggest failure by far was not to hammer home Jeremy Corbyn’s blatant deceit over student debt. This was despite his admission that he had no idea of the £100billion cost of the policy, and clear evidence of his frontbenchers peddling a promise Mr Corbyn claims he never made. Why were they not shouting about Labour’s election lies from the rooftops?

In September, ministers must refocus their efforts, stop the self-inflicted blows and rediscover the art of political attack. They are giving Labour a free ride. LAST week the Advertising Standards Authority announced a ban on adverts which portray only women doing jobs such as housework, or men doing DIY, deeming them to be sexist stereotypes. This week it waved through vegan propaganda which suggests drinking cow’s milk is inhumane. Is there anyone at this oh- so politically correct regulator with even an ounce of common sense?