Theresa May to re-launch election campaign after Tories knocked off course by ‘dementia tax’ row and Labour poll surge
THERESA May is set to re-launch her election campaign after the Tories were knocked off course by the ‘dementia tax’ row and an unexpected surge in the polls by Labour.
strategist Sir Lynton Crosby has reportedly ordered the party to return to its core message on who will be taking on the EU negotiations after June 8.
The says the Prime Minister will hammer home the point as she and Jeremy Corbyn face a grilling by Jeremy Paxman in a TV showdown.
It comes after polls have shortened her lead over the Labour leader from more than 20 points last month to as little as just five this week.
Having been predicted to return to Number 10 on the back of a landslide, some modelling was suggesting would end up with an even smaller majority than the 17 she had before calling the election.
A poll in the Sun on Sunday this morning looks to have put her back on track after voters reacted to her “strong” handling of the Manchester terror attack this week.
The survey from ICM gives the Conservatives a 14 per cent lead - the same amount she had before her weekend wobble when she was forced into a U-turn over social care.
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But an ORB poll for the Sunday Telegraph had the Tories down two points onto 44 per cent, just six points ahead of Mr Corbyn, while an Opinium poll for The Observer found their advantage had fallen from 13 to 10 points over the past week.
And party chiefs reportedly remain concerned Labour is within striking distance - and will consider her campaign a failure if she fails to massively boost the current number of Tory MPS.
There are now reportedly massive division in the party’s top ranks over the social care change disaster in the manifesto.
The Sunday Times said Mrs May’s co-chiefs of staff, Fiona Hill and Nick Timothy, are at loggerheads over the controversial policy, nicknamed the ‘dementia tax’.
Ms Hill, along with Sir Lynton, apparently opposed its inclusion – but Mr Timothy was adamant it should be included, even though it angered the party’s core supporters.
And Mr Crosby has now developed an “iron grip” on both the campaign and message, and will push forward with a renewed focus on Brexit.
The PM also revealed tougher sentences would be handed down to domestic violence abusers who target children.
Unveiling the plans, she said a new Domestic Violence and Abuse Bill would create an aggravated offence to allow harsher punishments for cases involving children.
A new watchdog and domestic violence Tsar would be appointed to speak up for battered women let down by the system.
She said: “The last seven years of Conservative government have delivered real steps towards tackling domestic violence - we are punishing more perpetrators, and helping more victims get refuge and justice.
“But we will launch a relentless drive to help survivors find justice and increase the number of successful prosecutions.
“This hidden scandal, that takes place every day in homes across Britain, must be tackled head on. And we must respond to the devastating and lifelong impact that domestic abuse has on children, who carry the effects into adulthood.”
Mrs May has previously described the current system inconsistent and ineffective and accused police of treating the crime as a “second class” offence”.
Around 2million victims report domestic abuse every year but research suggests omnly a fifth actually report the abuse.
The Tory plans would introduce a statutory definition for domestic violence, providing legal underpinning for everything in the new act.
Sir Michael Fallon has dismissed reports the Tories were in disarray over social care plans as “Westminster tittle tattle”.
The Defence Secretary told ITV’s Peston On Sunday: “We’ve put into the policy now some additional reassurance because of the scaremongering of Labour after the manifesto was published, further reassurance that people will not lose their home, they will not lose all of their savings.
“But yes, some people will be asked to make a contribution to raising the quality of social care.”