The lady is for turning: Theresa May's U-turns

From dementia tax to staying in the EU, the Prime Minister has a history of going back on policies

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Theresa May has denied she has made a U-turn by adding a cap to care costs on a poorly-received Conservative manifesto policy dubbed the "dementia tax".

"From opposing Brexit to hanging her Chancellor out to dry on proposed changes to National Insurance - May has built a reputation for acting in haste and repenting on national TV," writes the Daily Mirror.

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Brexit

During the EU referendum campaign, May "was not a vocal Remainer but she was a firm one", says the Financial Times. Since becoming PM, however, she has pursued a harder course on Brexit than even many Leave voters envisioned, vowing to be a "bloody difficult woman", take the UK out of the single market and end freedom of movement.

National Insurance

In his first full Budget in March, Philip Hammond announced a rise in national insurance rates for the self-employed. The plan was jettisoned a week later after it was "panned as a White Van Tax by the press", says The Independent.

Workers on boards

Many commentators thought May's promise to force companies to include workers on their boards was an odd fit for a Conservative agenda - and they were right. After lobbying by businesses, it was downgraded to an optional measure.

Snap general election

"It isn't going to happen," was Downing Street's unambiguous response to early election rumours in March. Weeks later, the Prime Minister convened a surprise press conference to announce she was going to the polls.

Foreign worker lists

Home Secretary Amber Rudd suggested that employers might be forced to disclose the number of foreign workers on their payroll, provoking comparisons with North Korea and Nazi Germany. The spectacle of "commentators from across the political spectrum lining up to slate the policy" proved too much, LBC reports. Less than a week later, the government said it had no plans to enact such a policy.

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