Baking fan Theresa May on recipe for success and her plan to make Britain’s economy work for all after Brexit
The PM urged the nation to judge her not just on delivering a smooth Brexit, but how she improves quality of life and opportunity on the economy
BAKE Off fan Theresa May yesterday revealed her recipe for a fairer Britain and told Sun readers: “I’m on your side.”
The PM urged the nation to judge her not just on delivering a smooth Brexit but how she improves quality of life.
She vowed to be “bloody difficult” with anybody who stands in her way, and ruled out a snap election, insisting there is enough work to keep her busy until 2020.
Mrs May, who is a big Mary Berry fan, declared: “Politics is not a game. It’s not about doing things for short-term party advantage. It’s about doing what’s going to be right for the country.
“I’m clear that we are not going to be completely consumed by Brexit. What I want to deliver is real change. To build a country that works for everyone.
“We’ve only just started, but I want Sun readers to feel they are seeing a government that is on their side and recognises their concerns.”
It is only 81 days since Mrs May moved into No10, but she has got her leopard-print kitten heels well under the table.
The vicar’s daughter has brought an end to David Cameron’s “sofa government” by installing a formal meeting table in her office, where she outlines her vision for a Britain that “works for everyone”.
She especially wants to give more people from humble backgrounds a chance of climbing the social ladder.
Mrs May said: “It is about ensuring people go far because of hard work and talent, not where they were born, who their parents are or what their accent is.
“I want to make Britain a great meritocracy.”
Education was “absolutely fundamental” to that, but despite progress made by her predecessor, she said it was unacceptable that 1.25million children go to schools that are not up to scratch.
As Britain’s second female PM, she also wants to convince women they can make it to the top.
She said: “I met somebody the other day who said that their little girl aged six or seven had said:
‘Mummy, I didn’t know a girl could be Prime Minister.’ I hope that just by doing this job, young women will see there are no limits to what they can do.”
I hope that just by doing this job, young women will see there are no limits to what they can do
Mrs May celebrated her 60th birthday today at a quiet dinner with Philip, her husband of 35 years.
They met at Oxford University after being introduced at a Conservative Association dance by Benazir Bhutto, who went on to become Pakistani PM and was killed in 2007.
Today they will head for Birmingham with a few policy tricks up her designer sleeve to enthral the Tory conference.
She insists the key to social mobility is a good education, which is why she is passionate about bringing back grammar schools.
She denies selection means a return to the old two-tier system which leads to less able kids being written off at 11.
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She said: “We are also trying to ensure grammar schools help to increase the quality and standard of education in an area more generally.
“For example they could set up a new non-selective school as well and work with nearby primary schools.
“But we also plan to remove the barriers to increasing the number of faith schools and are getting private schools and universities to do more to support schools. Our policy is all about increasing the number of good school places.”
Mr May believes her mantra of “a country that works for everyone” will condemn Labour to the fringes for years.
The PM is scathing about the way she says Jeremy Corbyn has abandoned working people his party is supposed to champion.
She said: “We don’t agree on many things. In fact, we don’t agree on anything. But he is consistent. I have to respect his consistency.
“What we have seen in the last week is a Labour party that isn’t addressing the concerns that many people have.
As Conservatives, I genuinely believe we are creating a new centre ground in British politics
“It is a Labour party that has been more focussed on arguing amongst itself.
“As Conservatives, I genuinely believe we are creating a new centre ground in British politics.
“There are concerns people raised that we saw from the Brexit vote that the Labour party is ignoring.
“What he is saying on migration shows he is ignoring a very clear message that people are giving.”
But she resists any temptation to call a spring election to boost her majority. She said: “No. The next general election should be in 2020. We were elected on a clear mandate in May 2015 and will carry out those manifesto commitments.
“We’ve also had a clear message from the British people in the referendum vote.
“The Government needs to deliver for people on that vote, too.
We’ve also had a clear message from the British people in the referendum vote
“What the country needs most is stability. An early election would create instability.
“People want us to get on with the job of delivering on the Brexit vote. It is going to take time. It is a process of negotiation. But they want us to focus on that, alongside dealing with issues of social reform and social injustices.”
The biggest change since Mr Cameron left office is the way business is done.
Meetings are much more formal and she has set up three extra Cabinet sub-committees to deal with Brexit, trade and economic and industrial strategy.
She also revealed there would be more work done through green and white papers, giving people more chance to comment.
She also stays up late in her Downing Street flat going through her red boxes, unlike Mr Cameron who got up early to do his.
She said: “I’m an owl, rather than a lark. Yes, the job is demanding but hugely worthwhile. You can really make a difference to people’s lives.”” Mrs May brushed off talk of rifts with three top Tories.
She denied snubbing Mr Cameron by failing to talk to him for 62 days after landing his job.
She said: “It’s not that I haven’t been talking to him. I spent some time doing the key things that were important.”
Despite sacking George Osborne, she hailed the Chancellor’s record and promised to develop his Northern Powerhouse project.
She has previously crossed swords with Boris Johnson but said he was a man of great talents doing a great job at forging a new world role for Britain. Do her ministers like her style? Mrs May says: “When I chair Cabinet meetings, I see a unity of purpose around the table, which is important, regardless of what people thought in the referendum.
“They are coming together with a sense of optimism.
“When I say Brexit means Brexit, there’s real feeling around the table that people want to do that and will do it and will contribute to it.”
She paused and smiled. “I think there’s an optimistic mood,” she said, “a realisation that there are real opportunities out there. We must go out and grasp them.”