Theresa May’s summit of party leaders has ended in acrimony after Jeremy Corbyn walked out of talks, citing the presence of Chuka Umunna of the Independent Group, who is not technically a party leader.
The meeting is an illustration of the strengths and the sharp limitations of May’s political approach. Her communications director, Robbie Gibb, tends to organise impromptu broadcast hits when the Prime Minister has done badly in the House of Commons and he did that effectively again today. May’s meeting with the six representatives made good footage for the six o’clock news and her statement – a boilerplate stop-me-if-you’ve-heard-this-one-before address – in front of Downing Street will lead the ten o’clock news. It will similarly be picked up by the newsbreaks on music radio. These are the important broadcast slots in terms of winning and losing elections.
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