SAY what you like about our embattled Prime Minister, but she’s certainly resilient.
Having led her government to the worst parliamentary defeat of all time – a process which she seems determined to repeat in perpetuity – Theresa May has been begged to resign by opposition MPs, Cabinet members and senior Tory party figures.
In Parliament on Wednesday, Conservative MPs were conspicuous in their absence as the so-called “pizza club” of Cabinet ministers met – reportedly to plan for the May’s succession.
Later it emerged that Scottish Secretary David Mundell – another master in the art of not resigning – had requested an urgent meeting with May amid rumours one of her most loyal supporters would be the one to deal the fatal blow to her leadership.
READ MORE: David Mundell set for urgent meeting with Theresa May
As evidenced by her disregard for the empty seats behind her while pleading with MPs to back her deal, the Prime Minister’s uncanny resilience seems to be forged out of an ethos of wilful ignorance – simply ignore the problem, and you won’t have to deal with it.
That’s certainly the impression given by the PM's official Twitter account.
As rumours of her resignation swirled, the UK Prime Minister profile deemed it a good time to perform what seemed to be some (woefully unrepresentative) data collection on plastic straw use.
How many plastic straws are currently used each year in the UK?
— UK Prime Minister (@10DowningStreet) May 22, 2019
The Tory government is awfully keen on cost-cutting – unless it comes to ferry contracts – so perhaps the tweet was a mere attempt to save the Office for National Statistics some money.
Whatever Downing Street hoped for, the post surely did not have the intended effect.
Many saw the funny side.
Me, desperately trying to change topic when it looks like HR might fire me:https://t.co/hixMI7e6LE
— James Felton (@JimMFelton) May 22, 2019
I’m not sure, but I know Theresa May is clutching to every one of them
— SunDog (@SocialistSunDog) May 22, 2019
Theresa May is on her LAST STRAW isn't she ? #PMQs
— The Dreaded Fox (@Mdreadedtwit) May 22, 2019
This isn’t an accurate way of finding out
— Andrew RJ McDonald (@McBambi) May 22, 2019
Is this a straw straw poll?
— Simon Burnett (@Simon_Burnett) May 22, 2019
Probably the same number as your attempts to implement brexit.
— Shane (@sohanlon07) May 22, 2019
Others pointed out that perhaps focus would be more wisely directed elsewhere on the day that it was announced British Steel had gone into liquidation after talks with the Government – threatening thousands of job losses.
In light of the current situation, but at the same time accepting that this is a serious environmental point, I really think that it would be a good idea to deal with immediate matters particularly in view of those people at British Steel who will be worrying sick at the moment
— Paul Harrington (@DisputeResso) May 22, 2019
As it turns out, the tweet was not in fact a data collection exercise but instead a fun quiz!
The answer is 4.7 billion! We're stopping this by banning the sale of plastic straws, stirrers and cotton buds in England from April 2020. Read more here: https://t.co/yJkm9X8Hlz #PassOnPlastic pic.twitter.com/hcH9lhhfG6
— UK Prime Minister (@10DowningStreet) May 22, 2019
The UK Prime Minister account revealed the answer, 4.7 billion, in a follow-up tweet which gave no impression that the original had been met with a deluge of negative responses.
As Theresa May well knows, ignorance is bliss.
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