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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Maybot adopts radio silence over Brexit | Maybot adopts radio silence over Brexit |
| (21 days later) | |
| Prime minister’s radio interview was supposed to be her latest reboot, instead she managed to malfunction in ever-more spectacular ways | Prime minister’s radio interview was supposed to be her latest reboot, instead she managed to malfunction in ever-more spectacular ways |
| Contact author | Contact author |
| Tue 10 Oct 2017 20.09 BST | Tue 10 Oct 2017 20.09 BST |
| Last modified on Wed 14 Feb 2018 15.31 GMT | |
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| It was probably an algorithmic glitch. But Theresa May could probably have done without the advert warning of the danger of an artificial intelligence virus taking over your business systems that played immediately before her LBC interview and phone-in. When you’re trying to reboot yourself as a caring, sharing prime minister in command of your government after a disastrous conference speech, you need all the help you can get. | It was probably an algorithmic glitch. But Theresa May could probably have done without the advert warning of the danger of an artificial intelligence virus taking over your business systems that played immediately before her LBC interview and phone-in. When you’re trying to reboot yourself as a caring, sharing prime minister in command of your government after a disastrous conference speech, you need all the help you can get. |
| Presenter Iain Dale homed straight in on that speech. “How did you feel?” he asked, inviting Theresa to open up. And for a short while she did, albeit somewhat awkwardly. She hadn’t quite known what was going on when she had been given the P45 but didn’t feel under any threat. But when Dale pressed her a little further, she instinctively reverted to Maybot. | Presenter Iain Dale homed straight in on that speech. “How did you feel?” he asked, inviting Theresa to open up. And for a short while she did, albeit somewhat awkwardly. She hadn’t quite known what was going on when she had been given the P45 but didn’t feel under any threat. But when Dale pressed her a little further, she instinctively reverted to Maybot. |
| If she had only said: “You know what? I felt like I was dying inside and wanted to run off stage and have a good blub,” then she might have won over her audience. Because that’s the prime minister that everyone who had witnessed her meltdown had seen. Instead she stuck to her programmed script. She had wanted to continue because she had some important things to say about student finance and housing that no one had listened to. “I want a country that works for everyone,” she said. Or should we make that “A Country That Works or Everyon ”? | If she had only said: “You know what? I felt like I was dying inside and wanted to run off stage and have a good blub,” then she might have won over her audience. Because that’s the prime minister that everyone who had witnessed her meltdown had seen. Instead she stuck to her programmed script. She had wanted to continue because she had some important things to say about student finance and housing that no one had listened to. “I want a country that works for everyone,” she said. Or should we make that “A Country That Works or Everyon ”? |
| Theresa was also somewhat disingenuous in her insistence that Grant Shapps should have kept his misgivings about her leadership private, as it was her office who had made them public, but she got back more into empathy mode when callers questioned her about the racial disparity audit. After a fashion. | Theresa was also somewhat disingenuous in her insistence that Grant Shapps should have kept his misgivings about her leadership private, as it was her office who had made them public, but she got back more into empathy mode when callers questioned her about the racial disparity audit. After a fashion. |
| “Thank you for saying that things have improved a bit,” she said to Carl, who had just described how pissed off he was at being stopped and searched by the police so frequently. Carl sounded understandably a bit confused, so Dale took over. What was she going to do to make the situation better given that so few black people trusted the Tories? The Maybot wasn’t entirely sure, but when she found out which home secretary had authorised those van adverts telling illegal immigrants to go home or be arrested then she would give her hell. | “Thank you for saying that things have improved a bit,” she said to Carl, who had just described how pissed off he was at being stopped and searched by the police so frequently. Carl sounded understandably a bit confused, so Dale took over. What was she going to do to make the situation better given that so few black people trusted the Tories? The Maybot wasn’t entirely sure, but when she found out which home secretary had authorised those van adverts telling illegal immigrants to go home or be arrested then she would give her hell. |
| Things really began to fall apart when the topic moved on to Brexit. Nina from Islington wanted to know if she would guarantee EU citizens rights in the UK in the event of no deal. “I’m looking for the best deal,” said the Maybot, failing to engage with the question. | Things really began to fall apart when the topic moved on to Brexit. Nina from Islington wanted to know if she would guarantee EU citizens rights in the UK in the event of no deal. “I’m looking for the best deal,” said the Maybot, failing to engage with the question. |
| “But you’re the one who brought up no deal in your statement yesterday,” Dale pointed out. “No I didn’t,” insisted the Maybot. She clearly needed some more Ram installed. | “But you’re the one who brought up no deal in your statement yesterday,” Dale pointed out. “No I didn’t,” insisted the Maybot. She clearly needed some more Ram installed. |
| Three times the prime minister refused to give any assurances one way or the other – “It’s technical” she said feebly – before eventually mumbling something about not throwing any EU citizens out of the country. Though pushing them a bit or making them feel so unwelcome that they would want to leave of their own accord were still very much on the table. | Three times the prime minister refused to give any assurances one way or the other – “It’s technical” she said feebly – before eventually mumbling something about not throwing any EU citizens out of the country. Though pushing them a bit or making them feel so unwelcome that they would want to leave of their own accord were still very much on the table. |
| Dale then asked how she would vote if there was another EU referendum. Now the Maybot was in terminal freefall. “I’m not going to answer hypothetical questions,” she replied, her voice laced with panic. Dale kept going. He knew how he would vote, why couldn’t she say how she would? Would she vote to leave? The Maybot garbled out a barely coherent, non-committal reply. Brilliant. The prime minister had effectively said that she did not believe in her own government’s Brexit position. | Dale then asked how she would vote if there was another EU referendum. Now the Maybot was in terminal freefall. “I’m not going to answer hypothetical questions,” she replied, her voice laced with panic. Dale kept going. He knew how he would vote, why couldn’t she say how she would? Would she vote to leave? The Maybot garbled out a barely coherent, non-committal reply. Brilliant. The prime minister had effectively said that she did not believe in her own government’s Brexit position. |
| Then came the Boris question. Would she sack him? “Boris is the foreign secretary,” she said in a depressed monotone. Yes. But was she the prime minister? | Then came the Boris question. Would she sack him? “Boris is the foreign secretary,” she said in a depressed monotone. Yes. But was she the prime minister? |
| By now the Maybot was clearly desperate for the interview to come to an end. Her attempt to show herself as both compassionate and in control had backfired badly. Dale had got more out of her in 30 minutes than Jeremy Corbyn had in 15 months of prime minister’s questions. | By now the Maybot was clearly desperate for the interview to come to an end. Her attempt to show herself as both compassionate and in control had backfired badly. Dale had got more out of her in 30 minutes than Jeremy Corbyn had in 15 months of prime minister’s questions. |
| But Dale was having too much fun to stop. “Do you mind if I just ask you a couple more questions,” he asked. The Maybot reluctantly agreed. Which member of the cabinet would she want with her on a desert island? Theresa thought for a minute before replying, “Dr Liam Fox.” Dale could barely contain his surprise. If there’s one cabinet minister everyone can agree is a bit useless, it’s Fox. | But Dale was having too much fun to stop. “Do you mind if I just ask you a couple more questions,” he asked. The Maybot reluctantly agreed. Which member of the cabinet would she want with her on a desert island? Theresa thought for a minute before replying, “Dr Liam Fox.” Dale could barely contain his surprise. If there’s one cabinet minister everyone can agree is a bit useless, it’s Fox. |
| If all her other answers hadn’t done for her, then that one surely had. | If all her other answers hadn’t done for her, then that one surely had. |
| Theresa May | Theresa May |
| The politics sketch | The politics sketch |
| LBC | LBC |
| Brexit | Brexit |
| Conservatives | Conservatives |
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