Theresa May’s speech overshadowed with a P45 joke from a prankster, a persistent cough and a falling apart set in a nightmare speech
UNLUCKY Theresa May today had her major relaunch overshadowed by a pesky cough, a set that fell apart, and a prankster who handed her a fake P45.
The PM - who repeatedly coughed and was on the verge of losing her voice - battled her way through her keynote speech to close the Conservative party conference in Manchester.
She apologised sincerely to Tory activists for the party's disastrous election as she tried to combat claims she was leading a zombie government.
But during her heartfelt speech, prankster Simon Brodkin - known as Lee Nelson - got on stage and gave her a fake P45, saying, "Boris asked me to give this to you."
The PM took it and put in on the floor next to the podium - before the joker was taken out of the hall.
As he was dragged away by security guards, he shouted: "Boris back me up please!"
MPs have hit out at the dreadful security lapse that left the man near to the Prime Minister for around a minute.
Greater Manchester Police said Brodkin had been arrested - but later announced he had "legitimate accreditation" and was released.
After he had been removed and shouted down by activists, a defiant Mrs May laughed the hiccup off, and joked: "I'd like to talk about someone I'd like to give a P45 to - and that's Jeremy Corbyn."
And in yet another embarrassing blunder, a letter fell off the slogan written on the stage's backdrop.
But the PM made light of the whole situation by tweeting out a picture of her strepsils and cough medicine on the table next to her speech.
The P45 said it was 'issued by' Boris Johnson.
Under 'reasons for termination' it said: "Neither strong nor stable. We are a bit worried about Jezza." Total tax to date said: "Ask Phillip".
No10 said after the incident: "We are expecting there to be a thorough investigation into what’s happened."
A Conservative spokesman said: “In light of the arrest during the Prime Minister's speech we are working with the police to review the accreditation process and security arrangements for Party Conference.”
Tories called for an inquiry into conference security after the prankster managed to get to the front - right next to the PM and the rest of the cabinet.
Justice Secretary David Lidington says "questions will be asked" and Philip Hammond said: "I'm sure the conference organisers will be looking into that breach".
Activists clapped as she tried to clear her throat to continue her rousing speech.
Mrs May - who has had a cough all week - was struggling to speak when Mr Hammond reached up to her and handed her a cough drop.
She then said: "I hope you noticed that - the Chancellor giving something away for free."
Top Tories were quick to line up to rally around her afterwards - despite the disastrous speech.
They said her cold showed her she was "human" and that she defied the odds to bring the party together.
But one Tory minister told The Sun after the speech: "What the f**king f**k, f**k, f**k. F**k."
Another Tory MP said: "As Napoleon always asked... I'm not sure Theresa May is lucky. An opportunity lost and there aren't many left."
And one said it raised serious questions about her leadership: "It's going to be like 2008 when we watched Labour hang onto Brown and sleepwalk into defeat. We cannot let that happen to us.”
Mrs admitted it was her fault the Tories lost their majority, telling party members: "I am sorry."
The Prime Minister laid out her radical plan to build hundreds of thousands of new homes in order to reduce the pressure on house prices.
And she is also finally unveiling the long-promised cap on energy prices to help out struggling consumers.
Promising to deliver the 'British dream' to win back young voters from Jeremy Corbyn, the Prime Minister vowed: "The priorities of working people up and down the land... must be our only focus."
The Prime Minister made a series of heartfelt pledges including:
- Spending £2billion on new affordable housing to bring down sky-high home prices
- Capping rip-off energy prices so big firms can no longer take advantage of customers
- Reforming the university tuition fee system and freezing the maximum amount students pay
- Reviewing mental health treatments to help out the vulnerable
- Changing the law on organ donations so people will be listed as donors unless they opt out
- Listening to the public more to avoid a repeat of the snap election fiasco
- And she hit out at Jeremy Corbyn for letting antisemitism, misogyny and hatred run free in Labour
Who is the prankster who interrupted Theresa May's speech?
SIMON Brodkin, better known as his most famous comic charioteer Lee Nelson, has performed outrageous stunts across the world, upstaging everyone from Donald Trump to Sepp Blatter.
The Londoner first hit fame when he starred in his own BBC3 show in 2009, but has become infamous in the past few years for his daring pranks.
It has even led to him getting his own show on Channel 4 earlier this year, dubbing him “Britain's Greatest Hoaxer”.
Explaining why he pulls off his pranks, Brodkin previously told the Radio Times: “It strikes me there are are people, companies and institutions that could do with being brought back down to earth a little bit.
“Targets who if I burst their bubble, may well result in me receiving a few high-fives. So, why not ruffle a few of those highly preened feathers?”
He added: “I don’t randomly select people to target. A great deal of thought goes into who I want to prank and whether I can justify pranking them.
“They are people who act as if they are untouchable – the rich and infamous, the great and not so good.
“They are always big, always powerful. I would never pick on the little guy – that would be bullying.”
In 2013 he managed to get onto the pitch at Goodison Park as his character Jason bent ahead of Everton’s math against Manchester City.
And he was arrested after leaving the England football team bemused as he tried to board their team bus as they set off for the World Cup the following year.
He also managed to get on stage during an episode of the X Factor - and somehow managed to evade security to gatecrash Kanye West’s Glastonbury performance in 2015.
Mr Brodkin got into a FIFA press conference and showered its then-boss Sepp Blatter with fake money - saying it was part of a bid to bring the World Cup to North Korea.
He also managed to get through the first audition for Britain's Got Talent by dressing up as a rapping rabbi called Steven Goldblatt.
Last year he mocked the Volkswagen emissions scandal by dressing as a VW engineer at the Geneva Motor Show and attempting to add a "cheat box" to the car.
In one of his most daring stunts he travelled up to the re-opening of Donald Trump's Turnberry golf resort in Scotland, and hijacked the President’s speech by handing out balls with swastikas on them.
And last September he "renamed" Sir Philip Green's £100million super yacht Lionheart the “BHS Destroyer”, in reference to the recent collapse of the department stores which he used to own.