We took the coalition era for granted, and now look what’s happened When historians study the Conservative Party, they will not commend the current cabinet. Nor, probably, the next one. But perhaps, […]

When historians study the Conservative Party, they will not commend the current cabinet. Nor, probably, the next one. But perhaps, they will commend the underdog: the Coalition. Both the Tories and the Liberal Democrats were sceptical about entering such an arrangement in 2010, but once the dust had settled, those were good days in Westminster.

The biggest problems faced at Prime Minister’s Questions were Ed Miliband’s inability to eat a sandwich, and David Cameron’s ignorance about the price of bread.

The tax credits fiasco was a low moment, as was the “pasty tax” budget; George Osborne was booed at the Paralympics and Michael Gove, in his excitement to reform schools, got himself sacked. A bunch of MPs tried to depose the Speaker and failed, on the last day of term.

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Still, the Government was unapologetic. Cameron looked commanding, even when what he was saying was dubious, and won the 2015 election with that confidence. Everyone wanted to be in Cameron’s gang – Conservatism was, rightly, compassionate and inclusive.

And, it got things done: Cameron took charge of the economic crisis, legalised gay marriage and led the response to the Bloody Sunday inquiry. Yes, there were gaffes: “hug a hoodie” wasn’t flattering but it was well-meaning.

Today’s Prime Minister is a damp squib. Her personality is rarely exposed. She does look almost states(wo)man-like, it’s true, but only until she opens her mouth. Then, she is weak, held back by what appears to be disbelief in her own message. Would she vote Remain again if there was a referendum this week? Presumably, which is why she won’t say. It seems that she does not believe her own spin.

Mrs May used to talk about how she was strong and stable. In fact, what she was referring to was a past version of herself: Coalition May.

Yesterday, it was reported that the Bullingdon Club has been shunned at Christ Church college, Oxford. Whatever the former prime minister got up to as an ill-advised member, it gave him self-assurance. He might have had a skeleton in his closet, but at least he could talk his way out of it.

Like so many things, we didn’t know what we had lost until it was gone.

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