Powered By Blogger

Sunday, January 8, 2017

May to outline 'shared society' in first interview of 2017

Theresa May will set our her vision to reduce social inequality today when she gives her first broadcast interview of the year to Sophy Ridge on Sunday on Sky News.

From her first day as Prime Minister in Downing Street she indicated she wanted government to target assistance at those who are "just about managing".

On Monday she will deliver a major policy speech at the Charity Commission in which she will outline her plans for a "shared society based on the values of citizenship, responsibility and fairness".

She is expected to say: "The shared society is one that doesn't just value our individual rights but focuses rather more on the responsibilities we have to one another.

"It's a society that respects the bonds that we share as a union of people and nations."

"And it's a society that recognises the obligations we have as citizens obligations that make our society work," she will add.

:: Trump 'very much' looking forward to meeting May

In an apparent dig at her predecessor David Cameron, she will suggest that government has focused too much on the very poorest and ignored the struggles of those holding down jobs, but finding it hard to make ends meet.

The focus on social justice is also an attempt to pivot focus away from her Brexit strategy, which she continues to keep under wraps, refusing to be drawn into a "running commentary".

But her resistance to allowing MPs to have a say before she triggers Article 50, the official EU divorce process, and her vagueness on the kind of deal she favours, still energises her critics.

Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth told Sky News: "Businesses across Britain want certainty; people whose jobs depend on our access to the single market want certainty and all we get from Theresa May is glib slogans."

In the Prime Minister's Maidenhead constituency, voters were lukewarm about her first six months in office.

"I know her as a local MP. She is very, very good at that so she might take a while to warm up to being Prime Minister," said one shopper.

Another was more sceptical saying: "Clearly she has a lot on her plate - there's a lot of noise and a lot of discussion about Brexit, but very few facts."

Simon Dudley, the leader of Windsor and Maidenhead Borough Council, who has known Mrs May for more than 20 years, is sure she will cope with the busy domestic and foreign agenda.

He said: "She is a very dedicated analytical person. She will get things done, she won't take nonsense either, and I think we want someone who is purposeful and focused."

The first few months of the year bring a series of high-profile challenges.

In January the Supreme Court will rule on the Government's powers to trigger Brexit, she will meet Donald Trump for the first time in February and she is scheduled to invoke Article 50 before the end of March.

No comments:

Post a Comment