Theresa May’s position since the general election might be described as weak and stable. After a speech that established more than a phonetic association between coughing and coffin she is weaker still and much less stable. The sense that this cannot go on may now overwhelm her and, if she does not draw that conclusion herself, a bunch of Tory comedians will visit her soon to hand her a P45, this time genuinely on behalf of Boris Johnson. The trouble, though, is much worse than that.

Mrs May is taking all the blame but Manchester was a theatre of delusion for the Conservative Party. Before her voice gave out, the prime minister took responsibility for an election campaign that she said was too presidential and